Refugee & Immigrant Impact Team
Utah is home to refugee and immigrant women representing a vast diaspora from around the globe. Based on community conversations with New American women, the most pressing issues are similar to other women in the state of Utah, but often exacerbated by navigating life in a new country and a new language, resulting in barriers to thriving, accessing services, and available resources. These barriers may be reduced for refugee and immigrant women with access to mental health services, secure and affordable housing, language services, and fostering welcoming through tutors, mentorship and professional pathways for families. It is critical that these challenges not be ignored so that New American Women in Utah achieve self-reliance, economic success, and have a voice in the communities where they've set down roots. As part of “Identity” on the Rim of the BWF Wheel of Change, this Impact Team is tasked with working with the leaders or a representative of each spoke to ensure that refugee and immigrant women are considered in all aspects of A Bolder Way Forward.
Leaders
Natalie El-Deiry
Director, Immigration, GOEO
LinkedIn Profile
Natalie El-Deiry is the Director of Immigration and New American Integration at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. She has spent over a decade working to foster collaborative relationships to advance the opportunities for inclusion of New Americans.
Samira Harnish
Founder & Director, WoW
LinkedIn Profile
Samira Harnish, Founder and Executive Director of Women of the World, leads a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit empowering women refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants since 2010. Samira founded WoW to fulfill her dream of fostering women's self-sufficiency.
Bold Vision
To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Refugee & Immigrant Impact Team leaders, affiliates, and partners are currently working to craft a bold vision. The bold vision will help guide the 18 areas of focus as they develop their bold goals, measure outcomes, create dashboards, and create momentum for additional changes.