Tahirih Justice Center, Falls Church, USA

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Tahirih Justice Center, Falls Church, USA
Logo:
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Street address: 6402 Arlington Blvd, Suite 300
City: Falls Church
State or Province: VA
Country: United States
Location:
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Location coordinates: 38° 52' 24" N, 77° 9' 36" WLatitude: 38.8734441
Longitude: -77.1601367
Executive Director: Layli Miller-Muro
Contact number: 571-282-6161
Contact email: justice@tahirih.org
Website: http://www.tahirih.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tahirihjustice
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tahirih-Justice-Center/142257595231
Target: Girls and Women
Organization type: Local NGO (operating at the community level), National NGO (operating countrywide or advocating at the national level)
Sectors: Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Female Genital Mutilation, Human Rights, Immigration/Migration, Legal Rights, Public Policy, Refugees, Trafficking, Violence Against Women
Year founded/registered: 1997

Contents

Summary

The Tahirih Justice Center provides pro bono direct legal services and social and medical service referrals to immigrant women and girls who are fleeing from gender-based violence and persecution.

About

warning.pngThe given value was not understood. The Tahirih Justice Center opened in September 1997 and has become one of the most prominent organizations in the United States for women seeking justice from human rights abuses.[4] Tahirih continually expanded its number of annual clients and hired more employees as the demand for its services grew in the late 1990s and into the next decade.

Beginning

Fauziya Kassindja was a Togolese teenager who fled her native land in 1994 to escape from a forced polygamous marriage and a tribal practice of female genital cutting.[5] She went through Ghana and Germany before arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, where she was detained and incarcerated by INS officials. She spent the next year and a half in various prisons throughout the Eastern United States while her legal team attempted to obtain asylum for her. In a case that made history in immigration law, she was finally granted asylum in June 1996 by the Board of Immigration Appeals.[6] Gender-based violence had been established as grounds for seeking asylum in the U.S.[7]

Miller-Muro had been a student attorney in Fauziya's case and the two became strong friends.[8] The successful outcome led her to co-author with Ms. Kassindja the book Do they hear you when you cry? (1998), about the latter's case and life. After Miller-Muro discovered that few organizations offered legal assistance to women seeking asylum or refugee status in the Washington, D.C. area, she founded the Tahirih Justice Center in 1997 to build on the accomplishments of Matter of Kasinga and to provide extensive legal coverage of immigrant women and girls fleeing to the U.S. from gender-based violence.

Growth

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The origin nations of Tahirih clients as of July 2006.

Tahirih's creation and growth was fueled by the widespread abuses suffered by women and girls around the world and the limited resources available to them when seeking protection in the United States.[9] According to the United Nations, two million women undergo female genital cutting in Africa every year.[10] A recent CIA report estimated that between 45,000 to 50,000 women and children are brought to the U.S. every year under false pretenses and are forced to work as prostitutes, abused laborers or servants.[11] UNICEF estimates that more than 200,000 children are enslaved by cross-border smuggling in West and Central Africa.[11] Although Tahirih can only provide immediate assistance to immigrant women and girls that are already within U.S. borders, its cases are representative of the types of violence from which women and girls are fleeing. The organization grew consistently over the years: in 2001, it helped a total of 618 people.[12] In 2002, Tahirih helped 681 people[13] and by 2003 this number jumped to more than 700.[14]

The continual success of competent legal representation prompted Tahirih's enlargement. The last publicly reported rate of approval for asylum applications in the U.S. before 2001 was 23.3%.[12] Applications written by the Tahirih Justice Center had a 98% success rate,[12] a figure it continues to maintain. The organization hired its first paid staff in August 1998 and had expanded to 12 employees by early 2004.[14] As of 2010, the employee organizational structure has grown and Tahirih has expanded nationally, all while assisting more than 9,000 people since opening its doors.[3] Tahirih clients come from five continents—North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and from nations such as Mexico, Argentina, Algeria, Mongolia, Turkey, South Africa, Iran, and Syria.[15]

Goals and organization

The Tahirih Justice Center is "founded on the belief that the achievement of full equality between women and men is necessary for society to progress."[14] This founding principle reflects a statement by `Abdu'l-Bahá, son of Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Bahá'í Faith), who said:

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As part of this mission, the organization seeks to promote justice for women and girls worldwide and helps the persecuted among them acquire legal protection in the United States. Tahirih works towards this goal primarily by litigating in gender-based asylum, gender-based persecution, and domestic violence cases. The organization has urged what it believes are repressive or disinterested governments throughout the world to take responsibility for acts of gender-based violence and persecution by providing victims with shelters and ensuring prompt, responsive police forces, all while doing more to eliminate overt and harmful policies designed to suppress and incite fear among women.[16]

The Tahirih Justice Center is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors that oversees the organization's functions. Each board member serves a two-year term and has the option to remain for an indefinite number of terms if repeatedly elected. Board members are individuals usually concerned or involved with issues pertinent to Tahirih.[17] A 14-member Board of Advisors, composed of lawyers, judges, and human rights activists, helps the organization by making recommendations.

Strategy and programs

To fulfill its objectives, the Tahirih Justice Center is involved in legal services, fundraising, public policy advocacy, and reaches out to other international groups and organizations.

Legal services

Tahirih conducts a wide array of legal services to help its clients. The Pro Bono Network, a network of pro bono attorneys and referral resources for clients, is the largest and most important. In 2003, Tahirih received US$1,708,276.81 in donated legal services from pro bono lawyers representing 31 Tahirih clients.[14] In 2004, 72% of Tahirih's income came from donated professional services with slightly more than 28% from grants, corporations, and individuals.[15] The program offers individual and group training for pro bono attorneys, and connects clients with other community resources such as peer support groups, medical and mental health services, housing, and public benefits. The Pro Bono Network allows staff to engage in educational initiatives to immigrant community groups, social service programs, and legal service providers. These are designed to highlight Tahirih's services and the special rights and needs of immigrant women and girls fleeing violence.

The organization aids clients holistically, trying to connect women with community resources that may improve the quality of their lives in addition to dealing with their legal problems. Tahirih's referral programs direct women to literacy programs, English language instruction, day care, and job skills training. Tahirih maintains a core of medical volunteers who evaluate the conditions of clients to support their legal claims and assists clients in accessing psychological counseling in the United States.[18]

Fundraising

The Tahirih Justice Center holds the Annual Fundraising Benefit to highlight its accomplishments over the year and promote its issues by having former clients share their stories. The Benefit features speakers closely associated with Tahirih issues and awards to recognize important and groundbreaking work in helping women fleeing from gender-based violence. For the 2005 Annual Benefit, Queen Noor of Jordan was the keynote speaker.[19] The Center founded the Washington Lawyers' Network (WLN) to mobilize and sustain a philanthropic network of Washington-area attorneys that promote awareness and provide funding for Tahirih. In 2003, Tahirih raised over $12,000 through WLN fundraising events and membership drives.[14] However, the vast majority of the organization's revenue comes from non-fundraising sources.

Public policy advocacy

The Tahirih Justice Center conducts national and regional advocacy campaigns to educate the public and law enforcement institutions about the threats faced by immigrant women and girls who do not have easy access to legal services. Tahirih employees have given presentations in universities and public forums throughout the United States on issues ranging from the equality of men and women in religious traditions to gender-based violence and persecution.

Tahirih has highlighted the possible dangers of recent, post-9/11 Congressional initiatives to enforce federal civil immigration law that may make immigrant women reluctant to report crime to authorities for fear of deportation. Specifically, Tahirih is concerned that the deputization of state and local police as immigration agents by the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) and Homeland Security Enhancement Acts would increase the barriers some women face to reach safety.[20] After the CLEAR Act was reintroduced in June 2005, Tahirih spearheaded a sign-on letter to Congress from nearly 100 organizations that advocate for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes.[15] Tahirih works with other non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International to promote its issues and advocate on legislative agenda.[21]

One of Tahirih's largest and most successful public policy initiatives has been the Campaign to End the Exploitation and Abuse of Women by International Marriage Brokers. A 2003 Tahirih survey of 175 legal service providers revealed that more than 50% were serving or had served women who met their spouses through a broker.[22] Tahirih joined other like-minded organizations in this campaign and led a four-year effort that culminated in the passage of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBRA) when it was attached to the bill that reauthorized VAWA. IMBRA provides foreign women with important information about their prospective American husbands, such as whether the men have violent criminal histories. The law mandates that foreign women know the rights and resources available to domestic violence victims in the United States. Through this law, foreign women who marry American men will be given critical tools to protect themselves and their children from domestic violence.

Issues

The Tahirih Justice Center deals with a number of human rights issues related to women and girls. The organization focuses on cases that fall within the scope of the its mission and goals. In particular, accepted requests must involve the protection of women from persecution, although men may be eligible for assistance to protect their female family members from abuse.[23] Women who wish to receive Tahirih's services free of charge must demonstrate that they are not able to afford to pay for such services.[23] When requests for assistance fall outside Tahirih's scope, staff members attempt to locate other legal service providers who can offer the prospective client assistance.

Domestic violence and genital cutting

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File:Fgm map.gif
Prevalence of female genital cutting in Africa.

Women who come to the United States with immigrant husbands or who marry American citizens once they are in the country are vulnerable to domestic violence because of their unfamiliarity with legal rights in the United States. Many Tahirih clients are women who have suffered from domestic violence and whose cases can be covered under VAWA. VAWA allows immigrants who can prove they have been victims of domestic abuse and would otherwise be able to gain legal status the ability to self-petition for a green card.[24] Tahirih attempts to help these women by making them lawful permanent residents independent of their husbands. Tahirih has initiated the Battered Immigrant Women Advocacy Project to advocate before the INS and immigration courts on behalf of battered immigrant women seeking lawful permanent residence.

The Tahirih Justice Center considers female genital cutting, which "comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons,"[25] a violation of human rights.[18] The Tahirih Justice Center's pioneering work in gender-based asylum law attempts to find protection for women fleeing from the practice to the United States.[18] Tahirih staff have received media requests to comment on matters surrounding the issue, and the organization frequently publicizes the issue in annual reports, brochures, and other informational material.

"Mail-order brides"

Template:Main In recent years, the organization has worked to protect women from abroad who are unfamiliar with the English language and the U.S. legal system from abusive marital relationships that have been arranged by international marriage brokers.[26] The international marriage broker industry has grown in response to a demand by American men, some of whom turn out to be sexual predators, for traditional wives from countries such as the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine. Tahirih's Campaign to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation through the International Marriage Broker Industry advocates for the accountability of marriage agencies, seeks legislative change, and engages in litigation and public outreach to protect women from abuse.[27] The Tahirih Justice Center was instrumental in Washington, D.C. law firm Arnold & Porter's successful fraud lawsuit against international marriage broker Encounters International on behalf of Nataliya Fox.[28] The Tahirih Justice Center helped draft the International Marriage and Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) and continues to work with other human rights organizations to ensure its implementation.[29]

Trafficking of women

Template:Main The Tahirih Justice Center works within the legal confines established by Congress to ensure the safety of women and girls who are trafficked, defined as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery" to the U.S.[30] The organization has pushed for legislation and regulations to protect and assist trafficking victims, such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and the Women Immigrants Safe Harbor Act (WISH).[4] Partly through Tahirih's efforts, in the 2005 fiscal year, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued 112 T-visas to foreign survivors of human trafficking identified in the United States.[31]


Notes

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References

External links

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  1. ↑ Tahirih Justice Center Wins The Washington Post 2007 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management 13th Annual Award Announced June 20
  2. ↑ Fauziya Kassindja, Do They Hear You When You Cry. p. 171. The case name became Matter of Kasinga, because Fauziya did not know if it was proper to correct the immigration official who misspelled her last name on her entry into the United States.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Services Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved February 20, 2010
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tahirih Justice Center HumanTrafficking.org, Retrieved August 2, 2006
  5. ↑ Fauziya Kassindja, Do They Hear You When You Cry. p. 119–31
  6. ↑ Kassindja p. 508
  7. ↑ Kassindja p. 516. "There have been some encouraging developments as a result of Fauziya's struggle for justice. For example, there has been some progress in recognizing that gender-specific harms, such as FGM [female genital mutilation or cutting], should qualify a woman asylum seeker for protection. Not all judges and INS trial attorneys enthusiastically embrace the principle, but many do, and Board of Immigration Appeal's decision established binding precedent, upon which other cases may rely."
  8. ↑ Kassindja p. 158–59
  9. ↑ Kassindja p. 526
  10. ↑ Female genital mutilation United Nations Children's Fund, Retrieved July 28, 2006
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Fact sheet on human trafficking United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Retrieved July 28, 2006
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 2000 & 2001 Annual Report Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved July 13, 2006
  13. ↑ 2002 Annual Report Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved July 13, 2006
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 2003 Annual Report Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved July 13, 2006
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 2004–2005 Annual Report Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved August 4, 2006
  16. ↑ CVC 2006 Charity Application Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, Retrieved August 4, 2006
  17. ↑ Governance, Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved March 6, 2010
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Fauziya Kassindja, Do They Hear You When You Cry. p. 526
  19. ↑ Tahirih's Winter 2006 Newsletter Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved August 2, 2006
  20. ↑ Miller-Muro and Jeanne Smoot So-Called 'Anti-Terrorism' Measures Harm Battered Immigrant Women Center for American Progress, Retrieved August 4, 2006
  21. ↑ Stop Violence Against Women Amnesty International USA, Retrieved August 2, 2006. "AIUSA has joined the Tahirih Justice Center in an effort to curb abuses related to IMBs [international marriage brokers]."
  22. ↑ "New Law Puts Brakes on International Bride Brokers" Women's eNews, Retrieved July 25, 2006
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Criteria for Eligibility Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved March 6, 2010
  24. ↑ Most abused immigrants unaware of remedies Amanda Keim, Retrieved August 2, 2006
  25. ↑ Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf, ed. Female Circumcision: Multicultural Perspectives p. 5. The definition comes from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the United Nations Population Fund.
  26. ↑ Jeanne Smoot. "Marriage broker law seeks to protect readily exploited women". Cumberland Times-News, Retrieved August 4, 2006
  27. ↑ IMB Campaign Tahirih Justice Center, Retrieved March 6, 2010
  28. ↑ "Mail-Order Misery". MSNBC News, Retrieved August 8, 2006.
  29. ↑ Lifetime Television/Entertainment Industries Council Poll ICR, Retrieved August 4, 2006
  30. ↑ Trafficking in Persons Report United States Department of State, Retrieved July 26, 2006
  31. ↑ 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report United States Department of State, Retrieved July 26, 2006


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