Nouha Elyazidi, Sara-Emily Khan, & Mindy Vorpahl<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018She Matters\u2019 team is a student group dedicated to producing a Capstone research project for our Master\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018She Matters\u2019 team members are graduating from their Master\u2019s 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\u2019s Master\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s Master\u2019s concentration was in International Affairs and Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n