Across Europe, migrant women face persistent and systemic barriers to labour market integration. Despite having valuable skills, qualifications, and motivation, they are often excluded from meaningful employment due to language challenges, unfamiliar social systems, and limited access to tailored support. As a result, many are pushed into precarious, part-time, or underqualified roles at a time when Europe urgently needs to address growing skills shortages. 

The EmpowerHer project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aims to address these challenges by fostering inclusive integration at the intersection of education, employment, and community engagement. The project is delivered by a consortium of six expert organisations across Europe: Wisamar Bildungsgesellschaft (Germany), Pistes Solidaires (France), OnProjects (Spain), COMCY (Cyprus), APIDI (Portugal) and the German Institute for Adult Education – DIE (Germany).

What does EmpowerHer aim to achieve?

EmpowerHer is structured around three interconnected goals, each supported by practical tools and resources currently in development:

1. Building skills through tailored learning

Every woman brings unique experiences and strengths. EmpowerHer will create flexible, accessible learning opportunities for migrant women and those who support them. A key resource will be a six-module training programme for adult educators, designed with human-centred, practice-oriented methods tailored to migrant learners’ needs. For migrant women, two tools will be developed: a revised ProfilPASS to help identify and articulate hidden potential, and a gamified web app to support interactive, low-barrier soft skills development—both aiming to empower personal and professional growth.

2. Fostering collaboration across sectors

True inclusion requires cooperation. EmpowerHer will build dialogue between migrant women and key labour market actors. A comprehensive onboarding toolkit will offer employers resources and guidelines for inclusive recruitment and workplace integration. To deepen connections, the project will organise 20 information events across Europe, creating spaces where migrant women can meet potential employers, explore job opportunities, and discuss career paths face-to-face.

3. Promoting inclusion beyond employment

Integration is also about visibility, recognition, and belonging. An international awareness campaign will share migrant women’s stories—their struggles, hopes, and successes—through video portraits and multimedia formats across partner countries. This campaign will challenge stereotypes and shift public narratives by highlighting migrant women as agents of change, not just beneficiaries.

Key milestones so far

1. Kick-off meeting in Leipzig (December 2024)

The project officially launched with a two-day meeting in Leipzig, Germany, bringing together all partner organisations. This first encounter provided the opportunity to align our shared vision, set strategic goals, and shape the project’s roadmap. It also marked the starting point of our collaboration on the training content for migrant women and educators.

2. Nicosia Training Event (June 2025)

From 24–26 June, adult educators from all five countries gathered in Nicosia, Cyprus, for a dynamic Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity. 

Over the course of the training, participants delved into the EmpowerHer Training Programme, designed to strengthen educators’ ability to teach soft skills, intercultural communication, and job readiness to women navigating complex integration journeys. A central focus was the ProfilPASS, a reflective tool that helps women identify their skills and build confidence in their personal and professional potential. Participants also tested the prototype of the EmpowerHer Web App, an interactive platform that offers gamified, accessible learning pathways tailored to migrant women’s needs.

The training was not limited to theory. Through rich peer exchanges, educators shared practices and began shaping action plans to implement EmpowerHer resources in their local contexts. A standout moment of the event was the visit to Tochka Ceramics, the studio of Tatiana Vasilieva—a migrant woman who successfully turned her artistic vision into a business. Her story served as a living example of the project’s mission: that with the right support, migrant women can become powerful agents of social and economic change.

EmpowerHer is just getting started. In the coming months, we will begin pilot activities, launch our awareness campaign, and organise the first local events to connect migrant women with the world of work.

Visit our website to learn more about the project, access upcoming resources, and find out how to get involved. https://empowermigrantwomen.eu/