EPALE - Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

The Together We Can project, co-funded under the Erasmus+ programme, was set up with the objective of promoting the socio-occupational inclusion of migrant women in rural contexts. Through a transnational partnership composed of organisations in Cyprus, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Italy, the project collected direct experiences, analysed structural barriers, identified good practices and developed policy recommendations to facilitate migrant women's access to training, employment and active citizenship. Local training activities in the partner countries were successfully implemented during the project.

This policy report summarises the main findings from the policy briefs developed by the partners, with the aim of providing concrete guidance to policymakers, local authorities, social workers and trainers to strengthen the inclusion of migrant women on a European scale.

Methodology

All project partners adopted a common methodological approach, based on the integration of:

• Focus groups with migrant women residing in rural contexts, to collect concrete experiences, obstacles and needs;
• Consultations with local stakeholders (NGOs, public bodies, enterprises, educational centres), to gather systemic perspectives;
• Analysis of national and regional policies and legislation, to identify existing tools and regulatory gaps;
• Community events, in some cases (e.g. ‘Spin the Clock’) to foster direct interaction between migrants and local actors.

This approach allowed the collection of qualitative and semi-quantitative data, fostering a broad and multilevel understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to the inclusion of migrant women.

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Common barriers to inclusion 

The comparative analysis among the five partner countries revealed a number of transversal barriers:

• Language barriers: all countries show language-related difficulties, and this is why in the last few years training courses have increased to address these language gaps. In Austria, for example, there are compulsory courses under the Integration Act. Italy has implemented various laws and policies to promote equality and support migrant women's access to training, work, and education. A key initiative is the National Integration Plan for Migrants by the Ministry of Labour, which focuses on enhancing migrant women's employment and integration through targeted language and cultural training. This strategy involves collaboration with local organizations, NGOs, and public institutions, ensuring a multi-stakeholder approach to inclusion.
• Recognition of qualifications and skills: processes for validating prior skills are complex, time-consuming and inaccessible. This is a problem in Austria and Portugal, where there is a lack of clear instructions for the validation of foreign titles.
• Limited access to childcare services: the lack or high cost of care services strongly limits participation in courses or work activities. For example, in Cyprus and Portugal it was pointed out that inefficiencies in the system, such as bureaucratic delays and insufficient childcare support, further complicate the integration path of migrant women.
• Discrimination and stereotypes: many migrant women face forms of institutional and social racism, which hinder access to equal opportunities. To address these issues, all countries have reported policies that help address these challenges, as The Equal Treatment Act in Austria provides vital rights that assist migrant women in overcoming obstacles related to their gender, citizenship, and place of origin. In Portugal there is the National Plan to Combat Racism and Discrimination 2021-2025 which is a comprehensive approach aims to address structural discrimination and advance equality.
• Regulatory restrictions on residence permission: in some contexts, dependence on the employer or precarious legal status are factors of vulnerability. For example, in Germany, As of June 2022, over 247,000 people held only a tolerated status, many of them long-term residents, including numerous migrant women and families. A new law introduced on 31 October 2022 allows those who have lived in Germany for at least five years to apply for an 18-month probationary residence permit. This "residence of opportunity" (Chancenaufenthaltsrecht) aims to offer long-term tolerated migrants a path to legal status. It also grants access to the labour market, potentially benefiting both migrants and the German economy, which is in need of additional workers.
• Low involvement of migrant women in local policies: They are rarely involved in decision-making processes that affect them.

Good Practices from Partner Countries

The experiences gathered in the five partner countries highlighted some good practices that can be replicated and adapted to other European contexts:

• Cyprus: The Dignity Centre in Nicosia and the Cyprus Refugee Council workshops offer language training, legal support, mentoring and empowerment activities, creating safe and stimulating environments.
• Austria: The Mama lernt Deutsch programme offers free language courses for migrant mothers, while the TOGETHER:AUSTRIA project uses mentors and ambassadors to raise awareness and train.
• Germany: Volunteering Tours organised by the Freiwilligenagentur in Magdeburg encourage volunteering, strengthening integration and self-esteem.
• Portugal: CLAIM centres (Centri Locali di Supporto all'Integrazione dei Migranti) provide integrated services, including language courses, legal orientation, and job support.
• Italy: The FAMI programme promotes language training and internships, while the Mamme per la Pelle project supports women's self-entrepreneurship through empowerment paths.

These good practices show the importance of inclusive, accessible and gender-sensitive approaches to empowering migrant women.

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Policy Recommendations

The following recommendations are proposed based on the analysis conducted in the partner countries:

• Increase the offer of language and literacy courses, with flexible, free formulas and integrated with childcare services.
• Facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications by setting up dedicated desks and transparent digital procedures.
• Encourage the creation of mentoring and peer support networks, enhancing the skills of already integrated migrant women.
• Encouraging migrant women's active participation in civic life, through councils, forums and participatory processes.
• Promote awareness-raising campaigns to fight stereotypes and enhance the contribution of migrant women.
• Involving the private sector through recruitment incentives, training on diversity and equal opportunities.
• Reinforce synergies between public bodies, NGOs and local communities to build sustainable and shared paths to inclusion.

Conclusions

The Together We Can project shows that the inclusion of migrant women is not only an issue of social justice, but also a strategic asset for the cohesion and development of European rural communities. The evidence gathered underlines the importance of:

• Promoting inclusive policies based on evidence and real needs;
• Empowering the active role of migrant women in change processes;
• Investing in local, participatory and long-term approaches.

A more equitable and resilient Europe also depends on the ability to recognise and support the potential of migrant women. The project offered valuable insights for a new vision of inclusion, to be translated into concrete actions at all different levels.

National analyses show that, although with different contexts, the challenges are shared and require integrated responses. Existing good practices show that well-designed local interventions can produce significant changes, particularly when participatory and multi-sectoral approaches are adopted.

The Together We Can Project will end in June 2025; local follow-up projects are currently in preparation.

Join the Together We Can free Web Conference on 17^th June 2025 to learn more about the project outcomes and prospects, and discuss with key stakeholders about social inclusion of migrant women in rural areas: https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/content/together-we-can-transnational-web-conference

This paper will be published as policy report in the Together We Can project, available on the project website www.togetherwecanproject.eu.

Project partners in Together We Can are: Exeo Lab SRL Potenza / Italy, Right Challenge Association Porto / Portugal, Synthesis Center for Education and Research Nicosia / Cyprus, VAEV Research and Development Agency GmbH Vienna / Austria, Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen e.V. (VNB) Hannover / Germany.

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The Together We Can Project has been funded by the European Union (Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships in Adult Learning; project number: 2022-1-DE02-KA220-ADU-000085184). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.