A gender based approach in service provision to migrants

15 May 2018
Last Updated: 23 May 2018
by Giacomo MANCA

On the 3^rd and 4^th May, the Salvation Army in Rome hosted a network meeting of our partner organisation Eurodiaconia, gathering a number of professionals from different European countries working with migrants at different levels in Christian organisations. The Salvation Army contributed with the presentation of its work in the Social Centre in Rome, as well as displaying the activities of its centre for young asylum seekers in Atena Lucana.

This year’s meeting, involving on the gender aspects of Migration produced a fruitful discussion on the special needs for services and treatments for migrant women, was animated also by the participation of the European Network of Migrant Women and the lack of a generalised gender approach in many integrated services. The activity developed with two workshops aiming at developing recommendations on the integration of women with a migration background, both for service providers and for policy makers:

·         Women empowerment needs to be addressed in order to provide them chances of health, education and employment beyond their family role;

·         a high importance should be given to the process of family reunification, to support those members (often women) reaching their partners and children who often are already integrated in the new country, and would risk to be “left behind”;

·         attention needs to be given to women and girls’ needs, as the risk of abuses among migrants and asylum seekers is very high:  staff needs to be trained to identify possible cases of abuse and human trafficking, with a particular regard to the work with women;

·         an important work regards also the integration of men, and their attitude towards women to better integrate in our society;

·         it is important to avoid unrealistic expectations and look at individualised cases

·         Workshops and group activities which valorises women skills, their potential employability as well as their ownership of traditions and family values (as cooking or sewing) may help in building up self-confidence and support the creation of connections.

To read more about the event, check the Report from Ruth Stannett 

To read more about Eurodiaconia’s work on Migration, check

·         Eurodiaconia’s Guide to Integration

·         Policy Paper: towards an effective integration of third country nationals

 

Tags: Europe