BEYOND THE HEADLINES
Plight and Resilience: Rohingya Women and Girls
Francisca Vigaud-Walsh, Refugees International
Sarah Craven, UNFPA

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Washington, DC—On July 19, 2018, WFPG held a conversation with Refugees International Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Francisca Vigaud-Walsh and UNFPA Washington Office Director Sarah Craven. The discussion focused on the challenges faced by the over 700,000 Rohingya who have fled violence in Myanmar, including the lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health care in the refugee camps and the lack of resources available to victims of gender based violence. Craven discussed the work of UNFPA in the region, including training midwives and distributing safe delivery kits. The speakers stressed that there is still much more work that needs to be done, but that unfortunately, the requested $1 billion in humanitarian aid is only 26% funded. Vigaud-Walsh noted that, even with available funding, restrictions placed by the government of Bangladesh on humanitarian aid are particularly harmful to efforts directed toward sexual and reproductive health. Former Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues and WFPG Board Co-Chair Cathy Russell gave introductory remarks and WFPG Board Member Dawn Calabia moderated the discussion. The event was hosted by the United Technologies Corporation.
 

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Sarah Craven, Director of the UNFPA Washington Office
 
Francisca Vigaud-Walsh, Refugees International
Senior Advocate for Women and Girls
 


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Members and guests listen as the panelists discuss Rohingya women and girls

 
WFPG Board Member Dawn Calabia
moderates the discussion
 


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WFPG Board Co-Chair Cathy Russell, Alexandra White of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the OAS, and
Deputy Chief of Mission Marigona Marku of Macedonia


 
Roquia Heider and Joan Mower of Voice of America
during the Q&A
 


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Laila Akhlaghi of John Snow, Inc. asks a question

 
Katherine Marshall participates in the discussion
 

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