1 “Equal rights. Equal Voices. Migrant Women in the EU” AER, 28 May 2009

2 The European Women’s Lobby Set up in 1990 Biggest feminist organisation in Europe Aims at promoting women’s rights and equality between women and men Working in different policy areas, i.e. migration, integration and asylum from a gender perspective

3 Background: EWL January 2007 Seminar Recommandations To develop and strengthen migrant women NGOs networking at national level, through the organisation of national meetings of migrant women NGOs, taking fully into account the diversity of migrant women; To strengthen the link between migrant women organisations and women’s organisations at national level and with EWL; To develop a European network of migrant women NGOs

4 ‘ Equal Rights, Equal Voices. Migrant Women in the EU’ Aims at… actively involve migrant women, including legally residing and undocumented migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, in the development, monitoring and implementation of policies related to migration and integration at the European level

5 Why was the project needed? Migrant women have specific needs and are facing specific obstacles in the integration process Migrant women play a central role in the integration process Migrant women’s voices are barely heard and reflected in the integration debate that remains gendered-neutral Despite increasing recognition at political level, immigration, asylum and integration policies in practice are still not taking account gender

6 Expected impacts of the project Migrant women organisations share concerns and best practices to address concerns at national level Migrant women who were not integrated in any network join existing groups and/or set up their own Migrant women’s advocacy, organisational capacity and knowledge will be strengthened at the national level Migrant women’s organisation agree on a joint position on integration and migration issues at the European level Migrant women’s voices are heard by decision-makers at the national level and European level

7 EWL migration project 2008 Supported by: The Sigrid Rausing Trust National meetings of migrant women NGOs in 12 EU Member States: Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, U.K., Latvia Participation of some partners of the project to different seminars and forums on migration and integration: Preparatory meeting for the European forum on integration, Brussels, April 2008; CoE consultation on resolution on democratic participation of migrants, June Third World Social Forum on Migration, Madrid, September 2008; (with the organization of a workshop and a seminar); ENAR seminar, Paris, 6-7 November 2008 (with the organization of a workshop on the integration of migrant women).

8 EWL migration project 2008 European seminar (Brussels, 28 November – 1 December 2008) with all the partners of the project that aimed at: Agreeing on the structure of the European network of Migrant women To agree on a common action plan in different thematic areas To increase visibility of migrant women’s organizations to MEPs, EC officials and European NGOs. Follow-up meeting (30 January- 1 February) with a small group to discuss the statutes, membership criteria in detail and fundraising proposal to Justice Liberty and Security (JLS) European coordination of the project (EWL project coordinator)

9 Next steps? Supported by: In 2009: –Drafting of European guidelines on the integration of migrant women –Official Launching of the European Network of Migrant Women with website –Setting up of national coordinations of the network In 2010: –Hearing in the European Parliament In 2011: -Documentary on migrant women’s economic, social and cultural contribution to European societies …and continuing advocacy at local, regional, national and EU level!!!

10 Project partners oAkiDwA - African Women in Ireland, Ireland oAkina Mama Wa Africa, United Kingdom oAssociazione NO.DI - I Nostri Diritti, Italy oBusiness Women organization of Lithuanian Ethnic Groups, Lithuania oCultural House of Albanian Immigrants in Greece, Greece oEstonian Women’s League, Estonia oEuropean Contact Group in the Czech Republic, Czech Republic oFATIMA Women’s Network, United Kingdom oForum Femmes Mediterranée, France oFoundation of Development ‘Beyond the borders’, Poland oGRAAL, Portugal oKvinde Rad, Denmark oImmigrant Council of Ireland, Ireland oMAISHA ev African Women in Germany, Germany oMenedék - Hungarian association for migrants, Hungary oMIGS, Cyprus oMONIKA, Multicultural Women’s Association in Finland, Finland oThe Resource Center for Women ‘MARTA’, Latvia oUnion des femmes africaines, Belgium

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