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Mums@Work. Enhancing social integration and employability of Migrant Mothers

Mums@work is an european project aimed to promote social and economic integration among groups of migrant mothers (aged 25-45), by enhancing their today and tomorrow’s employability. The project will support at least 90 migrant mothers to find an active role in the society, thus increasing their integration in the community, reducing their social exclusion, preventing the risk of current poverty and ensuring better retirement conditions for the future.

The project, financed by the European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and coordinated by Pro Arbeit, will be carried out from February 2021 to February 2023 and Welfare and Development Association ABD, SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education, Vital Aid Foundation, Cidis Onlus, Solution: Solidarité & Inclusion, Réseau Européen des Femmes Migrantes.

Migrant women, triple disadvantage

According to Eurostat and OECD, aproximately 45% of migrant and refugee people are women. Moreover, migrant people are often disadvantaged both in terms of social and economic integration if compared with EU nationals. In this context, refugee women face a “triple disadvantage”: poorer health, lower education (or difficulty in validating qualifications) and worse labour market outcome as compared to migrant men. Additionally, they face further challenges to attend integration activities when childbearing and they receive less integration support, leading them to being employed in low-skilled jobs.

Considering this situation, Mums@Work will deliver individual and group counselling sessions (always providing child-care) aimed at facilitating social integration of the participant women and opening avenues for labour market orientation. The project will also offer work experience opportunities with social enterprises that will bring them closer to the labour market and economic integration.

Previous activities:

Status assessment of labour market integration of migrant mothers to establish an overview of the current situation in the partner countries, and to detect the social and employment needs of the main target group.
Recruitment of the target groups, to reach 90 mothers at risk of social exclusion that will participate throughout all the project phases; and the strategic partners that will support and perform the coaching and counselling activities, so as the employers involved.
Profiling and assessment of each participant, to identify the individual skills and obstacles of the migrant mothers in an individual skills profile. This profiling will be the basis to design the tailor-made insertion itineraries of each participant.
Needs analysis of employer’s recruitment requirements, to identify the tailor-made steps that will need to be taken in order to secure long term employment for migrant mothers.
Dissemination and communication/ awareness campaign at a local, national and international level. Before, during and after the project.

Practical activities for the participants:

Individual and group counselling sessions. The participants will be involved in a variety of workshops covering topics such as work, health, gender roles, or social and political participation. They will also attend group activities such as visits to local points of interest or cultural events with the aim of creating a social network and new relationships. Moreover, each woman will receive tailored advice and recommendations concerning the availability of existing local social support services. Childcare will be guaranteed during all the activities to facilitate their participation.
Labour market orientation activities with the aim of defining an insertion objective and practicing job skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and networking.
Celebration of a job shadowing month, entitled “Mothers’ Month”, during which 5 to 15 employers in each country will be invited to host the participants, who will spend between 2-8 hours with at least one employer.
Celebration of International Mother’s Day in The Hague to provide opportunities for networking and capacity building for migrant mothers and for sharing best practices among project partners.
Work experience. With the collaboration of the employers recruited, each participant will gain work experience and qualification through the job training, which will take place over a period of 6 months, and will be organised depending on the interests and possibilities of each woman.
Individual road map. Each of the 90 migrant mothers will finish the project with an individual road map that will cover the following 6 months. This map will set the next steps towards their labour market integration.

European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 957902 – MUMS at WORK – AMIF-2019-AG-CALL

Mums@Work

European project that seeks to promote economic and social integration of migrant mothers between 25 and 45 years old, enhancing their present and future employability.