07/31/2026
“My journey as a displaced person began when I was 18 years old. I left my country with my family, hoping to find a better future that, sadly, my country could no longer offer me.
At that time, my biggest dream was to continue my studies, obtain a degree, and move forward with my life, like any person should be able to do under normal circumstances. It is very painful to realize that living in your own country does not give you safety or protection, and that you may feel safer trying to survive in any possible way outside your homeland. But that was my reality.
My new life in Mexico began with many difficulties. Even though non-discrimination is recognized as a right under the law, discrimination is still everywhere. It can be seen in people’s faces, in the way they speak to you, and in the way they treat you.
I had a very difficult time during my first years at university. Xenophobia and mockery because of where I came from became increasingly painful. I often asked myself: Why do people feel the need to make fun of this? Why am I afraid to say where I come from?
Furthermore, accessing decent work, or even any kind of work, can be very difficult while you are going through a migration process. One of the main challenges is that many private sector employers, at least in my experience in Mexico, do not understand that your documentation is valid for work. That lack of knowledge, combined with xenophobia, can make it almost impossible to find a job or even secure work that can help you survive and move forward.
As with work, the documentation of a person affected by forced displacement is often not well understood by educational institutions, especially private ones. Because of this, you often have to prove in every possible way that you are a human being who simply wants to access education or employment and claim a right that should already be recognized.
Self-reliance is important, but it must also be supported and guided. As a young person, you face barriers. As a woman, you face barriers. And as a refugee or displaced person, you face even more barriers. My own experience has shown me that if support is not provided, whether moral, financial, or simply through someone opening a door and offering that first opportunity, it becomes very difficult to achieve self-reliance.
Governments must ensure that written laws and rights are actually applied and do not exist only on paper. These legal frameworks, protections, and plans must be implemented properly. If they are applied with the same care with which they are written, they could have an incredible impact on the futures of refugee girls and women around the world.
Governments should also create more pathways that allow displaced women and girls to develop, grow, and become independent. Bureaucracy and legal systems should not become barriers. They should function as mechanisms of protection.
Refugee women and girls should not only be seen as highly vulnerable people. They should also be recognized as potential leaders and independent women who are ready to take control of their lives and contribute to their host countries.
Too often, we are seen only as numbers or as one more case. But in reality, we are people with dreams, aspirations, and the desire to contribute much more.”
These are the words of RM, a young Venezuelan women. In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, we invited her to share her reflections on the impact of the convention on her life and experiences.
“In Her Own Words” shares the stories of women living in the world’s most extreme conflict zones. The series brings into focus how women and girls bear the real costs of war and displacement. For more than 35 years, WRC has listened to women living through conflict and displacement and advocated for their rights and safety. Join us.
