ENGAGE

The Development of Inclusive Integration Paths 4 Migrant Women (ENGAGE ) project created social, cultural, and employment pathways for the integration of third-country national (TCN) women in host communities in Slovenia.

Project Goal

TCN women, who represent 45% of refugees in the EU, have lower activity and employment rates and face a higher risk of poverty than TCN men, and are more likely to be in lower skilled occupations. Most also face particular integration challenges associated with lower education and labour market outcomes in comparison with TCN men. A key explanation for this is the fact that these women often arrive from countries with high gender inequality and low employment rates for women. The ENGAGE therefore worked to ensure migrant women's effective integration by promoting their social and economic inclusion.

The goal of the ENGAGE project was to support the socioeconomic integration of TCN women by providing paths for entering the labour market, promoting exchanges between the host society and TCNs, facilitating the transfer of experience on integration at EU level, and disseminating integration measures for TCN women beyond the partnership.

How it works

The project organised:

• upskilling workshops for TCN women and validation of acquired competences based on the Open Badges methodology
• capacity building activities for labour market stakeholders 
• job shadowing schemes
• women’s circles with art-centred workshops
• awareness-raising activities
• mapping of relevant challenges
• production of a research paper and learning materials

Management and coordination was conducted via horizontal activities, through 10 bilateral agreements, 1 project management plan, 4 partnership meetings and 4 activity reports.

Who benefits

The direct and indirect target groups of the ENGAGE project were TCN women, labour market stahelpders, other migrants and local citizens (both women and men), professionals, policy makers, NGOs and the general public.

Funding and resources

Funding was provided by the European Commission's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), as well through the Slovenian research centre ZRC SAZU. The funding amounted to €72 000 to cover the costs of 3 hired researchers.