Event
Invisible Work and Visible Impact
The European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW) was represented at the European Economic and Social Committee on the occasion of International Women’s Day, contributing to discussions on the theme “Invisible Work and Visible Impact.”
Speaking on behalf of ENoMW, Project Manager Frohar Poya highlighted the experiences of migrant women in Europe, whose contributions as caregivers, workers, entrepreneurs and community builders remain essential, yet too often invisible in labour markets and policy discussions.
Migrant Women’s Contributions and Structural Barriers
Despite the progress women have made over the years, the intervention stressed that in some areas there is a regression:
- Women are disappearing from policy discussions and official documents.
- Women are being silenced when they speak about their rights or about spaces that belong to them.
- In many parts of the world, women and girls are still denied access to education.
Across Europe, migrant women face significant barriers to employment, lagging around 16–17% behind migrant men and native-born women. These gaps are often linked to childcare responsibilities, language barriers, unrecognised qualifications, and lack of legal status.
Policy Priorities for Inclusion
To address these challenges, the intervention called for:
- Women-sensitive integration policies;
- Faster recognition of qualifications;
- Better data disaggregated by sex, migration status and legal status to inform policy.
Inclusion is not only a social goal — it is an economic necessity. Europe cannot afford inefficiency rooted in structural exclusion.
Read the full speech below