For over 30 years, the WUSC Student Refugee Program has been providing opportunities for young refugees to pursue higher education in Canada. Among the students sponsored by WUSC, men greatly outnumber women because few girls have the opportunity to finish high school. In many classrooms, boys outnumber girls 4:1.

WUSC has been working to increase the availability of quality primary, secondary and post-secondary education in refugee camps in order to decrease the gender gap in education between refugee boys and girls. Through WUSC’s Shine a Light campaign, we have been providing refugee girls with solar lamps and after-school programs in a safe learning environment so that they may complete their studies.