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sources too closely associated with the subject potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral . please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable independent third party sources . september 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message learn how and when to remove this template message tahirih justice center type ngo industry human rights founded 1997 united states headquarters falls church virginia united states key people layli miller muro products legal services public policy advocacy . revenue 4.8 million usd 2007 1 website www.tahirih.org part of a series on violence against women issues acid throwing breast ironing bride burning dating abuse domestic violence outline management and pregnancy dowry death eve teasing honor killing female genital mutilation gishiri cutting infibulation female infanticide femicide foot binding force feeding forced abortion forced marriage forced pregnancy forced prostitution human trafficking murder of pregnant women raptio sati violence against prostitutes sexual assault and rape sexual violence sexual assault campus sexual assault mass sexual assault rape and pregnancy laws types of rape by deception corrective date gang genocidal in war marital prison statutory sexual slavery related topics prosecution of gender targeted crimes v t e the tahirih justice center known simply as tahirih is a united states based non governmental organization ngo that provides pro bono direct legal services and social and medical service referrals to immigrant women and girls who are fleeing from gender based violence and persecution . tahirih helps women who are attempting to escape from such abuse as female genital cutting domestic violence human trafficking torture and rape . the organization also conducts public policy initiatives designed to achieve legislative change for women fleeing from human rights abuses to highlight problems faced by immigrant women in the united states and to end the possible exploitation of mail order brides by international marriage brokers . in 2007 the tahirih justice center won the washington post award for excellence in nonprofit management . 2 in 2012 tahirih s executive director won the diane von furstenberg choice award . layli miller muro founded the tahirih justice center in 1997 following a well publicized asylum case in which she was involved as a student attorney . 3 miller muro later co wrote a book with the client she had aided and used her portion of the proceeds for the initial funding of tahirih . as of 2012 the organization had assisted more than 13 000 women and children fleeing from a wide variety of abuses . 4 the organization played a significant role in the passage of the international marriage broker regulation act imbra which was signed by president bush in early 2006 and incorporated into the violence against women act vawa . imbra gives foreign women important information about prospective american husbands for a summary see also mail order bride legal issues . the organization is named after t hirih an influential female poet and theologian in 19th century persia who campaigned for women s rights . tahirih is a bah inspired organization although its clients and employees vary widely in ethnicity religious identification and nationality . contents 1 history 1.1 beginning 2 goals and organization 3 strategy and programs 3.1 legal services 3.2 public policy advocacy 4 issues 4.1 domestic violence and genital mutilation 4.2 mail order brides 4.3 trafficking of women 5 controversy 6 see also 7 notes 8 references 9 external links history edit the tahirih justice center opened in september 1997 and has become one of the most prominent organizations in the united states for women seeking justice from human rights abuses . 5 tahirih continually expanded its number of annual clients and hired more employees as the demand for its services grew in the late 1990s and into the next decade . beginning edit fauziya kassindja was a togolese teenager who fled her native land in 1994 to escape from a forced polygamous marriage and a tribal practice of female genital cutting . 6 she went through ghana and germany before arriving at newark liberty international airport in new jersey where she was detained and incarcerated by ins officials . she spent the next year and a half in various prisons throughout the eastern united states while her legal team attempted to obtain asylum for her . in a case that made history in immigration law she was finally granted asylum in june 1996 by the board of immigration appeals . 7 gender based violence had been established as grounds for seeking asylum in the u.s. 8 miller muro had been a student attorney in fauziya s case and the two became strong friends . 9 the successful outcome led her to co author with ms. kassindja the book do they hear you when you cry 1998 about the latter s case and life . after miller muro discovered that few organizations offered legal assistance to women seeking asylum or refugee status in the washington d.c. area she founded the tahirih justice center in 1997 to build on the accomplishments of matter of kasinga and to provide extensive legal coverage of immigrant women and girls fleeing to the u.s. from gender based violence . the origin nations of tahirih clients as of july 2006 . goals and organization edit the tahirih justice center is founded on the belief that the achievement of full equality between women and men is necessary for society to progress . 10 as part of this mission the organization litigates in gender based asylum gender based persecution and domestic violence cases . the organization has urged what it believes are repressive negligent or dismissive governments throughout the world to take responsibility for acts of gender based violence and persecution by providing victims with shelters and ensuring prompt responsive police forces all while doing more to eliminate overt and harmful policies designed to suppress and incite fear among women . 11 the tahirih justice center is governed by a 16 member board of directors that oversees the organization s functions . each board member serves a two year term and has the option to remain for an indefinite number of terms if repeatedly elected . board members are individuals usually concerned or involved with issues pertinent to tahirih . 12 a 17 member board of advisors composed of lawyers judges and human rights activists helps the organization by making recommendations . strategy and programs edit to fulfill its objectives the tahirih justice center is involved in legal services fundraising public policy advocacy and reaches out to other international groups and organizations . legal services edit tahirih conducts a wide array of legal services to help its clients . the pro bono network a network of pro bono attorneys and referral resources for clients is the largest and most important . in 2010 tahirih received us 6 813 094 in donated professional services including from pro bono lawyers representing tahirih clients . 13 in 2010 77 % of tahirih s income came from donated professional services with slightly more than 23 % from grants corporations and individuals . 13 the program offers individual and group training for pro bono attorneys and connects clients with other community resources such as peer support groups medical and mental health services housing and public benefits . the pro bono network allows staff to engage in educational initiatives to immigrant community groups social service programs and legal service providers . these are designed to highlight tahirih s services and the special rights and needs of immigrant women and girls fleeing violence . the organization aids clients holistically trying to connect women with community resources that may improve the quality of their lives in addition to dealing with their legal problems . tahirih s referral programs direct women to literacy programs english language instruction day care and job skills training . tahirih maintains a core of medical volunteers who evaluate the conditions of clients to support their legal claims and assists clients in accessing psychological counseling in the united states . 14 public policy advocacy edit the tahirih justice center conducts national and regional advocacy campaigns to educate the public and law enforcement institutions about the threats faced by immigrant women and girls who do not have easy access to legal services . tahirih employees have given presentations in universities and public forums throughout the united states on issues ranging from the equality of men and women in religious traditions to gender based violence and persecution . tahirih has set focused primarily on four public policy areas over the past decade 1 forced marriage initiative ; 2 campaign to prevent abuse and exploitation through the international marriage broker industry ; 3 protecting and promoting the rights of immigrant survivors of crime ; and 4 protecting and promoting access to asylum for women and girls fleeing gender based persecution . 15 tahirih has highlighted the possible dangers of recent post 9 11 congressional initiatives to enforce federal civil immigration law that may make immigrant women reluctant to report crime to authorities for fear of deportation . specifically tahirih is concerned that the deputization of state and local police as immigration agents by the clear law enforcement for criminal alien removal clear and homeland security enhancement acts would increase the barriers some women face to reach safety . 16 after the clear act was reintroduced in june 2005 tahirih spearheaded a sign on letter to congress from nearly 100 organizations that advocate for immigrant survivors of domestic violence sexual assault human trafficking and other crimes . 17 tahirih works with other non governmental organizations like amnesty international to promote its issues and advocate on legislative agenda . 18 one of tahirih s largest and most successful public policy initiatives has been the campaign to end the exploitation and abuse of women by international marriage brokers . a 2003 tahirih survey of 175 legal service providers revealed that more than 50 % were serving or had served women who met their spouses through a broker . 19 tahirih joined other like minded organizations in this campaign and led a four year effort that culminated in the passage of the international marriage broker regulation act of 2005 imbra when it was attached to the bill that reauthorized vawa . imbra provides foreign women with important information about their prospective american husbands such as whether the men have violent criminal histories . the law mandates that foreign women know the rights and resources available to domestic violence victims in the united states . through this law foreign women who marry american men will be given critical tools to protect themselves and their children from domestic violence . issues edit the tahirih justice center deals with a number of human rights issues related to women and girls . the organization focuses on cases that fall within the scope of its mission and goals . in particular accepted requests must involve the protection of women from persecution although men may be eligible for assistance to protect their female family members