RWN was founded in 1995 by a group of women who came to the United States as refugees. They lived and worked in different parts of the country. They had experienced the refugee resettlement process and had worked in social service agencies that provided support to refugees. Through their collective experience, they knew that women’s skills, courage and experiences were not been adequately supported.

Xuan Nguyen-Sutter, a founding member and the first Executive Director of Refugee Women’s Network reflects, “Women are the glue that holds family member together and yet when agencies resettle refugees, they put the men to work, the children in school and somehow the women are forgotten.”

In 1995, a handful of thoughtful, committed women comprising a Vietnamese from Atlanta, a Laotian Hmong from Milwaukee, an Iranian from New York and an Ethiopian from Los Angeles  formed the Refugee Women's Network, Inc., with a vision to be the catalyst that empowers refugee and immigrant women to reclaim their collective voices and reach their full participation through active participation and taking leadership roles in their local, national and international communities.

Over the years, programs that address the empowerment needs and leadership development needs have changed, and RWN has adapted new programs to reflect the changing needs of our community members. However, RWN has, for the past 14 years, maintained its commitment of providing advocacy, promoting independence and self-sufficiency and networking for our community members.

There are over 2200 RWN women representing 40 different ethnic groups and countries of origin. They are from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. They are now located in 30 states in the United States.