Nouha Elyazidi, Sara-Emily Khan, & Mindy Vorpahl
The ‘She Matters’ team is a student group dedicated to producing a Capstone research project for our Master’s in International Affairs program at George Washington University. We designed this project to examine discriminatory practices and the denial of essential legal services experienced by migrant and asylum-seeking women in Greece. Systemic barriers not only perpetuate gender-based violence (GBV) and social exclusion but also represent a failure to uphold Greece’s obligations under international human rights law, European Union (EU) Directives, and the 1951 Refugee Convention. The team conducted this research in partnership with the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR). GCR’s primary role was to facilitate, communicate, and guide in navigating the refugee-legal landscape in Athens. The key deliverables from this partnership included an extensive policy report with key findings and detailed policy recommendations, a summary policy brief, and a formal presentation that highlighted key findings and facilitated open dialogue between American and Greek audiences. In collaboration with GCR, our team investigated how displaced women experience the asylum process, access to legal aid, and protection services through interviews and focus groups with representatives from GCR and other local, refugee-serving NGOs. Our research highlights the disconnect between Greece’s stated commitments and the lived realities of refugee women affected by displacement. This partnership is relevant because both the She Matters team and GCR share an interest in the legal empowerment of refugee and migrant women, with a commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed methods for ethically engaging beneficiaries to collect accurate data based on lived experiences that can be analyzed to improve programming and inform policy reform for NGOs and policymakers.
The ‘She Matters’ team members are graduating from their Master’s program at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., in May of 2026. Nouha Elyazidi graduated from the George Washington University in May 2025 with a B. A in International Affairs and a double concentration in Middle Eastern Studies and Conflict Resolution, and a minor in Arabic Cultural and Linguistic Studies. Nouha’s Master’s studies concentrated in International Law and International Organizations. She has extensive experience in public/government affairs, advocacy, and refugee educational programming. Sara-Emily Khan graduated from CUNY Queens College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in the Honors in the Humanities. Her Master’s concentration was in Global Governance. She has experience in the United States naturalization process, volunteer engagement, migration, and advocacy. Mindy Vorpahl graduated with a BSN from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in 2011 and has worked as a critical care registered nurse since. She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Russian from the Defense Language Institute (2007) and a Certificate in Leadership and Workforce Development from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (2022). Mindy’s Master’s concentration was in International Affairs and Development.
Read the full Policy Brief here.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us!
Nouha Elyazidi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nouhaelyazidi/
Email: elyazidine@gmail.com
Sara-Emily Khan
LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/in/sara-emily-khan
Email: sebk2002@gmail.com
Mindy Vorpahl
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-vorpahl
Email: mindy.vorpahl@gmail.com
