Center for Gender and Refugee Studies – California

Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS)-California embraces a multi-pronged approach to defend the rights of people fleeing persecution and advance sound asylum laws and policies. Taking inspiration from movement lawyering leaders, they use the law in tandem with other strategies to achieve the systemic change that they aspire to see in the courts, at all levels of government, and in public opinion. CGRS-California works in close collaboration with marginalized groups and other stakeholders to address root causes of inequality and advocate for a vision of justice defined by clients and their communities. Through Movement Lawyering, CGRS-California supports campaigns designed to advance justice across multiple axes, including power-building among directly impacted individuals, who are the lifeblood of the movement itself. By combining law, advocacy, and technology, they have been able to advance a more inclusive refugee definition and reverse bad court decisions. Center for Gender and Refugee Studies – California received $40,000 in funding for 2024.