Promote Economic Empowerment

The HIAS Foundation supports economic empowerment programs that ensure that refugees have economic opportunities to earn sustainable income and start their lives anew.

HIAS and UN Women collaborate on the Caminando project that promotes economic empowerment and women’s rights as an effective strategy to eliminate gender-based violence. April 2021. (HIAS Ecuador)

Overview

One of the most important opportunities for refugees is to build skills, earn a living, and invest in their communities. The HIAS Foundation supports HIAS’ economic empowerment programs, which ensure that refugees have safe economic opportunities to earn sustainable income and rebuild their lives. HIAS programs are market-oriented, protection-focused, and concentrate on economic empowerment of all refugees, including LGBTQ refugees, young women, and survivors of gender-based violence.

40,000+

people accessed our economic empowerment services and support in 2024.

Countries

United States

Aruba

Chad

Colombia

Costa Rica

Ecuador

Guyana

Israel

Kenya

Panama

Peru

Venezuela

Strategies

The HIAS Foundation supports HIAS' programs to help refugees and their host communities build self-reliance, increase resilience, regain dignity, and provide opportunities for independent and meaningful futures. Access to sustainable livelihoods is an important tool for meeting refugees’ needs for protection, food security, housing, health, and other services.

HIAS' economic empowerment programs aim to:

Equip displaced people with the skills, tools, and knowledge needed to navigate local labor markets through job readiness workshops, vocational training, and financial literacy programs.
Provide seed funding, credit-building tools, and business development support to help displaced individuals launch and grow small businesses, fostering long-term economic stability.
Build partnerships with employers and industry leaders to create job placement pipelines, mentorship opportunities, and inclusive hiring practices that connect refugees to sustainable livelihoods.

Impact Stories

VIDEO: We All Need Work That Sustains Us

HIAS’ economic empowerment programs ensure that refugees have safe economic opportunities to earn sustainable income and rebuild their lives in dignity. This short video highlights how HIAS helps refugees find jobs and become empowered.

A mural at HIAS Peru’s entrepreneurship school, which welcomes gender-based violence survivors and women living at a greater risk of violence to help them succeed economically and socially.
(HIAS Peru)

"Building Bonds of Friendship and Emotional Support”

Training women in entrepreneurship in a school-like setting allows them to develop business ideas and the means to avoid risks or leave violent spaces.