In this episode of Women’s Refugee Commission Live, WRC President and CEO Dr. Xanthe Scharff speaks with Sana Mustafa, Independent Consultant at Sila Global Consulting, about challenging traditional humanitarian systems, advancing refugee-led leadership, and rethinking who controls resources and decisions.

Drawing on her experiences as a forcibly displaced Syrian woman and her leadership across the refugee rights movement, Sana discusses why organizations closest to humanitarian crises are often the least resourced. She shares how the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative helped demonstrate the value of placing funding decisions in refugees’ hands and how her latest work aims to establish a community-led fund for Southwest Asia and North Africa.

The conversation also turns to Syria following the fall of the Assad regime. Sana reflects on the country's uncertain future, the leadership of Syrian women, and why the historic political transition does not mean it is safe to force displaced Syrians to return.

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about who holds power in humanitarian response, what it takes to build lasting change, and why the voices and leadership of displaced communities must remain central to decisions affecting their lives.

In This Episode

• Why refugee-led organizations need greater control over humanitarian funding
• Sana's work to develop a community-led displacement fund for Southwest Asia and North Africa
• How the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative helped advance refugee-led philanthropy
• What community-led funding looks like in practice, from grant applications to governance
• Why conflict and disagreement should be expected in movement building
• Lessons from Sana's leadership at Asylum Access and her efforts to shift institutional power
• How refugee-led movements are changing representation, language, and funding practices
• Why Syria remains unsafe for forced returns following the fall of the Assad regime
• The challenges facing Syrians returning to damaged infrastructure, limited services, and continuing insecurity
• The role of Syrian women in advocating for political representation and accountability
• Why sustained investment in local leadership is essential to lasting humanitarian change

About Sana Mustafa

Sana Mustafa is a feminist human rights activist, movement leader, and independent consultant at Sila Global Consulting. Drawing on her lived experience of forced displacement from Syria, she has helped establish global refugee-led initiatives, including the Global Refugee-led Network and the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative. She previously served as CEO of Asylum Access and Associate Vice President of Philanthropy at the Equality Fund. Her work focuses on shifting power, mobilizing equitable resources, and advancing the leadership of displaced communities.

Connect with Sana Mustafa:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sana-ali-mustafa

About Dr. Xanthe Scharff

Dr. Xanthe Scharff is President and CEO of the Women’s Refugee Commission and host of Women’s Refugee Commission Live.

Connect with Dr. Xanthe Scharff:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xanthescharff/

Connect with the Women’s Refugee Commission

The Women’s Refugee Commission works to improve the lives and protect the rights of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. WRC researches their needs, identifies solutions, and advocates for programs and policies that strengthen resilience and drive change in humanitarian practice. 

Website: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensrefugeecommission/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wrcommission

X: https://x.com/wrcommission

Support Women’s Refugee Commission Live

If this conversation helped you better understand the issues shaping the lives and rights of displaced people, please consider leaving a written review for Women’s Refugee Commission Live. Your review can help more people discover these conversations and the research, expertise, and perspectives behind them.

Research. Rethink. Resolve.

In this episode of Women’s Refugee Commission Live, WRC President and CEO Dr. Xanthe Scharff speaks with Senior Policy Advocate Sadia Kidwai about some of the major debates unfolding at the United Nations and what they could mean for women, girls, refugees, and displaced people.

Sadia breaks down proposed reforms to the UN system, including concerns raised by feminist civil society about a potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA. She also discusses the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, efforts to protect progress on gender equality and refugee rights, and the role civil society can play in influencing decisions that may otherwise feel far removed from everyday life.  

The conversation also explores how WRC is bringing research from humanitarian settings into global policy discussions, connecting evidence about the consequences of funding cuts with advocacy for women-led organizations, gender-based violence services, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

Tune in for an informed look at the decisions taking shape at the UN, why they matter beyond New York, and the people working to ensure that women’s and refugee rights remain part of the conversation.

In This Episode

•  Why UN reform matters for women, girls, refugees, and displaced people 
•  Concerns surrounding the proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA 
•  What civil society is seeking from the next UN Secretary-General 
•  How people can engage with conversations surrounding the UN General Assembly 
•  Efforts to defend gender equality, women’s rights, and refugee rights 
•  Why decisions made at the UN can have real consequences in humanitarian settings 
•  How WRC research is being used to inform advocacy and policy discussions 
•  Why the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention is a significant moment for refugee protection 

About Sadia Kidwai

Sadia Kidwai is Senior Policy Advocate at the Women’s Refugee Commission, where her work focuses on centering the stories, voices, and leadership of refugee women and bringing those perspectives into global policy spaces, including the United Nations. 

Connect with Sadia Kidwai:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadia-kidwai-378b1483/

About Dr. Xanthe Scharff

Dr. Xanthe Scharff is President and CEO of the Women’s Refugee Commission and host of Women’s Refugee Commission Live.

Connect with Dr. Xanthe Scharff:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xanthescharff/

Connect with the Women’s Refugee Commission

The Women’s Refugee Commission works to improve the lives and protect the rights of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. WRC researches their needs, identifies solutions, and advocates for programs and policies that strengthen resilience and drive change in humanitarian practice. 

Website: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensrefugeecommission/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wrcommission
X: https://x.com/wrcommission

Support Women’s Refugee Commission Live

If this conversation helped you better understand the issues shaping the lives and rights of displaced people, please consider leaving a written review for Women’s Refugee Commission Live. Your review can help more people discover these conversations and the research, expertise, and perspectives behind them.

Research. Rethink. Resolve.