Five years ago, the 探花精选 established a gender action plan to create an environment where women are safe and respected. The plan comes from the belief that the 探花精选 must be a gender equitable organization to deliver gender equitable programs in the communities it serves. Led by executive director Preethi Nampoothiri, the 探花精选 in Silver Spring sets the bar for empowering female leaders.  

Tin Tin Oo, who has spent 16 years with the 探花精选, described the impact of female leadership as 鈥渓everaging diverse perspectives to drive better decision making.鈥 The 探花精选 in Silver Spring exemplifies that approach, with women holding eighty percent of leadership roles.  

The 探花精选 in Silver Spring puts gender equity at the center of its services to refugees. Led by Kelsey Chippeaux, the gender equity committee evaluates 探花精选 programs to ensure all refugees have equal access to our services, regardless of gender. This focus on equal access led the 探花精选 to divide financial assistance into separate bank accounts for male and female heads of household and to provide each adult with their own phone. These tools provide female refugees the resources and tools to advocate for themselves.  

Since she arrived in the U.S. as a refugee herself, Rachel Mogga has helped hundreds of refugees become U.S. citizens and reunite with their families. 鈥淧icturing where I came from and to see myself where I am today means the whole world to me. I feel proud of the many [24!] years I have dedicated to work for the 探花精选 serving humanity.鈥  

The 探花精选 in Silver Spring is an environment where women can receive assistance, serve others, and in many cases, lead. The 探花精选 is proud of the strong, caring, and resilient women who represent our organization and ensure the voices of all women and girls are heard.鈥