Across the UK, migrant and refugee women are smashing stereotypes, breaking boundaries and connecting communities. We’re on a mission to create new spaces for our voices to be heard.
That’s why in 2012 Migrants Organise created Women on the Move Awards (WOMA), a powerful and unique annual awards ceremony to celebrate the power of migrant women and the relentless work they do in standing up to injustice.
WOMA ran for eight years until 2020 in collaboration with UNHCR and the progressive intersectional platform, Women of the World Festival. The ceremony was hosted on International Women’s Day at the iconic Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank and included a joyful programme of dance, speeches and music.
Together we shared groundbreaking stories, raised the profile of women who are systematically silenced whilst building powerful new narratives.
The impact of the awards was felt beyond the ceremony night itself. We were successful in building a leadership network and bringing people together across the UK to speak out on the issues affecting them.
WOMA was founded by the Chief Executive of Migrants Organise, Zrinka Bralo. After being presented with an award by the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York for her work in supporting refugees in the UK. Having received this accolade and felt its impact, Zrinka was inspired to create a prestigious platform here to highlight the ground-breaking work that refugee and migrant women carry out day in, day out, often without infrastructure, financial remuneration or acknowledgment.
“…the work we’re doing can feel isolating – sometimes it feels like we’re knocking on doors and no one is listening and suddenly I was sitting in this room full of people that were on my side and I still feel that….whenever I feel a bit down about the world [I remember] there’s a million of us. I’m not on my own, and that’s down to this award.”
– Rossana Leal, Woman of the Year 2019
