A lifeline for Afghan and immigrant families, from the day they arrive.
Since 2001, WAW has grown into one of the largest organizations serving the needs of Afghan women in the United States — offering comprehensive, culturally specific services that support the journey to becoming well-integrated, proactive U.S. citizens.
Improving and empowering lives, every single year.
In the United States, Women for Afghan Women is committed to improving and empowering the lives of over 3,000 Afghan and other vulnerable, Muslim immigrant and refugee women and their families every year through comprehensive services and programs that support their journey to becoming well-integrated and proactive U.S. citizens.
Our community centers offer pro bono legal and immigration assistance, citizenship and English (ESOL) classes, culturally specific mental health counseling, resettlement support, advocacy for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, and a network of programs that provide life-skills building, career counseling, and job placement to the women we serve.
New York Community Center
Since 2003, WAW’s New York Community Center (NYCC), located in Fresh Meadows, Queens, has provided comprehensive and culturally attuned services to Afghan, South Asian, and Muslim immigrant women, children, men, and families in New York. The majority of our NYCC staff are Afghan or South Asian immigrants or first-generation immigrants, and most share lived experience with our clients.
Programs and services are provided in English, Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Hindi, and Spanish, both in person and remotely across the state and nation. The NYCC serves as a lifeline for the local Afghan and, increasingly, the South Asian and other Muslim immigrant and refugee communities — and its legal teams help clients navigate complex, constantly shifting immigration policies.
Virginia Community Center
Established in 2022 in Alexandria, VA, WAW’s Virginia Community Center (VACC) provides vital, culturally specific services to Afghan and Muslim immigrant community members across the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. As at our NYCC, VACC staff are Afghan or South Asian immigrants or first-generation, and share lived experience with our clients.
Virginia has the second largest Afghan community in the U.S. — over 23,000 people, roughly 18% of the U.S. Afghan population — and more than 6,000 new Afghans have arrived in the DMV area since 2021. VACC partners with local resettlement agencies and schools to help newcomers become successful, well-integrated, independent U.S. citizens.
“We envision a world in which all women and their families thrive and prosper.”
U.S. Services
WAW provides direct, comprehensive services to Afghan, Muslim, and other immigrant communities in New York City and Alexandria, Virginia, plus remote (phone or online) support to immigrants across the United States wherever they are located. Services available at each location are marked NYCC or VACC. Services are subject to change; please contact WAW for current information.
Case Management
Caseworkers assist community members with questions about available social services, including employment; affordable housing; enrolling children in public school; enrolling in GED; domestic violence counseling and referrals; and more.
Legal Services
Our in-house legal department provides free assistance with citizenship applications; petitions for alien fiancé(e)s and relatives; travel documents; adjustment of status; asylum; certificates of citizenship; green card renewal; employment authorization documents; and other services.
Refugee Response
Services meeting the immediate needs of refugees resettling in the US — including all of WAW’s case management services and partnerships with private companies, resettlement agencies, and government agencies for temporary housing, transportation, household provisions, and personal items. Refugee response is currently about 38% of our overall services.
Mental Health Programming
Culturally sensitive programming that helps Afghan newcomers process trauma and develop positive coping skills, with therapeutic sessions to overcome post-traumatic stress, survivors’ guilt, and depression.
Adult Empowerment Classes
Empowerment classes that help immigrant women and Afghan newcomers adapt to life in the United States, including English, citizenship, driving-test preparation, and other life-skills classes.
Women’s Circles
Monthly support groups offering a safe, confidential space for clients to learn about and discuss issues relevant to their lives, including domestic violence and women’s rights.
Financial Literacy Workshops
Workshops that provide financial literacy to immigrant women and Afghan newcomers, including how to manage money, and help prepare them to connect with potential part-time and full-time jobs.
Know Your Rights
Programming and workshops offering information sessions, direct and referral services for immigrants, raising awareness about immigrant rights, and helping community members understand and respond to immigration challenges.
Seniors Program
Created for older Afghan community women, this program offers a variety of activities — field trips, classes, and special events — to build a sense of belonging and healthy social fulfillment that reduces feelings of isolation.
Youth Empowerment & Leadership
Interactive programs that foster personal growth, community engagement, and self-empowerment for immigrant youth from the Afghan diaspora and Muslim communities. Through workshops on mental wellness, advocacy, cultural understanding, and self-expression — plus activities like art therapy and nature excursions — participants build confidence, practical skills, and a strong sense of belonging.
WAW’s US impact in 2025
2025 Annual Report
Complete data on WAW’s impact across the United States and Afghanistan — program by program.
Read the Report