We’re proud to share with you that Michelle Brané, director of our detention and asylum program, has been selected as one of “21 leaders for the 21st century” by Women’s e-News. Michelle is being honored for her cutting-edge work on protecting women and children asylum seekers and immigrants.
“This is a great honor,” says Michelle. “I’m particularly pleased that it will shine a spotlight on the terrible plight of women and children who are caught up in our immigration system, and whose rights are often ignored or abused.”
Here’s an excerpt from the Women’s e-News website:
Michelle Brané: Policy-Wonk Activist for Refugees
“Undocumented women in the United States have Michelle Brané in their corner, advocating for immigration policies that address their specific circumstances.
“As director of the detention and asylum program at the Women's Refugee Commission, Brané says that even though women and children are the majority of refugees in the world, most policy is not geared toward their needs.…Brané has always known she wanted to work on migration issues. She began looking specifically at detention centers after working for the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, where she created a program for torture survivors placed in detention centers. She says her current position with the commission is ideal because it embodies field research and policy work, allowing her to interact with individual refugees while influencing overall policy.”
Michelle will be honored at Women eNews’ 10th anniversary gala on May 3 in New York.
Read more about Michelle and information about the other honorees—here.