Mums at Work: Supporting Migrant Mothers’ Labour Integration

MUMS AT WORK: SUPPORTING MIGRANT MOTHERS' LABOUR INTEGRATION IN EUROPE

The Mums at Work project aims to increase the employability, sustainable income and social integration of migrant mothers aged 25 to 40 years old. The project also aims to raise awareness of and influence key stakeholders – businesses, public sector, local communities, general public) with regards to the importance and mutual benefits of supporting economic and labour integration of migrant mothers in Europe.

Mums at Work is funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. Coordinated by Pro Arbeit (Germany) in partnership with our Network, Vital Aid Foundation (the Netherlands), SOLUTION: Solidarité et Inclusion (France), CIDIS Onlus (Italy) and ABD (Spain).

MUMS AT WORK PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

MOTHERS OF THE WORLD VIDEO ANIMATION

Mothers of the World is an animated video directed by Vaishnavi Sundar and inspired by the stories of five migrant and refugee mothers from Afghanistan, Somalia, Ukraine, Philippines and Turkey.

Mothers of the World is also a series of portraits of the women who took difficult journies into Europe, their quest for safety, security and stability for themselves and their children, their daily struggles and the courage and wisdom with which they deal with the new challenges in Europe.

Supported by the European Union’s Migration and Integration Fund, FiLiA, and the wonderful movie director Vaishnavi Sundar.

MUMS AT WORK: IN CONVERSATION WITH MIGRANT WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT

“Mums at Work: In conversation with migrant women who participated in the project” is a short video created to document the feelings, characters, opinions and analysis of several migrant women who took part in the project.

MOTHERS OF THE WORLD FINAL EVENTS IN BRUSSELS

In the framework of the International Day for Women’s Rights, European Network of Migrant Women and our members in Belgium organised a full afternoon of discussions, workshops, activities and entertainment, by and for migrant mothers, their families and friends on 4 March 2023.

The event included two panels with grassroot experts on access to housing and employment, world food stands and a market of creations by migrant mothers, inspiring workshops, a photo exhibition on migrant mothers by femLENS, activities for children and the musical show of Senegalese singer Daba Makourejah.

On 6 March 2023 we hosted the “Migrant Mothers in Europe: Building a Common Future” Policy Seminar in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which aimed at sharing the outcomes and results of the Mums at Work project with migration and motherhood experts and organisations, as well as inform policy-makers on the challenges and barriers to migrant women’s access to the European labour market. The event include the screening of an animated campaign on the rights of migrant mothers.

[With the support of La Tricoterie, the Mums at Work European project and femLENS. Co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union]

MOTHERS' MONTH, MAY 2022

During the month of May 2022, the Mums at Work partnership ran the Mother’s Month campaign, in the framework of Europe’s Mother’s Day on 8th May. Our partnership shared news and materials on migrant mothers in Europe, the barriers and challenges they face and contributions they make to European societies, as well as the work that the Mums at Work partners have been doing with the migrant mothers in their respective countries.

OPEN CALL: FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHERS IN EUROPE

Together with the femLENS association we are looking for female photographers who are willing to donate their time, skills and knowledge to train migrant women in these cities across Europe: Perugia (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France), The Hague (Netherlands), Nicosia (Cyprus) and Dreiech (Germany). The project partners are already accompanying migrant mothers in these six European cities, towards their employability and social integration.

The female photographers will be supporting the migrant mothers in their respective countries in the creation of photographic stories. These stories will go towards an awareness-raising campaign that aims at showing the benefits of supporting the social, economic and labour integration of migrant mothers in Europe.

For any question and additional information please contact info@migrantwomennetwork.org with the mention “Mums at Work”!

MOTHERS' MONTH 2022

During the month of May 2022, the Mums at Work partnership ran the Mother’s Month campaign, in the framework of Europe’s Mother’s Day on 8th May.

During the campaign we shared news and materials on migrant mothers in Europe, the barriers and challenges they face and contributions they make to European societies, as well as the work that the Mums at Work partners have been doing with the migrant mothers in their respective countries.

We also hosted a little series of our Migrant Women Reality Watch on the different topics around motherhood and migrant mothers.

Coinciding with this month we also participated in the public event of the Mums at Work project, organised by Vital Aid Foundation in The Hague on 17 May 2022. The meeting in The Hague provided an opportunity for the Advisory Board of the Mums at Work project, comprised of five members of our Network and our partner organisation Make Mothers Matter, to meet and discuss the progress and monitoring of the project. We were also delighted to see the migrant mothers – beneficiaries of the project – themselves who travelled to The Hague to take part in the event.

The European Advisory Board of the Mums at Work project is composed of five of our members, as well as our partner organisation Make Mothers Matter. It monitors the projects’ implementation and results.

Selen Göbelez, migrant mother from Turkey, living in France since 2016.
Eva Ledroit, lawyer specialized in human rights.
Esohe Aghatise, international lawyer and the founder of IROKO Onlus.
Alicia Arbid, half-Lebanese and Belgian, mother of two kids and coordinator of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association.
Selene Adame, migrant mother from Mexico living in Ireland since 2017.
Chiara Parolin, lawyer and president of Aura-women in Italy.

PROJECT PATRONS

During the project, project partners implementing activities with migrant mothers recruited Project Patrons, which are public representatives of the Mums at Work project and responsible for promoting the project to key stakeholders:

Marie Faye (ABD, Spain)
Kim Maï Nguyen (SOLUTION, France)
Virginia Ryan (CIDIS Onlus, Italy)
Mbiami Tatiana Nkamanyi (SYNTHESIS, Cyprus)
Dr. Jan Werner (Pro Arbeit, Germany)

MOTHERS OF THE WORLD

European Network of Migrant Women is delighted to share the launch of Mothers of the World, an animated video directed by Vaishnavi Sundar and inspired by the stories of five migrant and refugee mothers from Afghanistan, Somalia, Ukraine, Philippines and Turkey.

Mothers of the World is a series of portraits of the women who took difficult journies into Europe, their quest for safety, security and stability for themselves and their children, their daily struggles and the courage and wisdom with which they deal with the new challenges in Europe.

Our Network is very grateful to all the migrant and refugee women who took part in creating this video: from the women whose stories inspired it to those who supported its production, as well as the AMIF Fund for Integration FiLiA, and the wonderful movie director Vaishnavi Sundar.

In the framework of the International Day for Women’s Rights, European Network of Migrant Women and our members in Belgium organised a full afternoon of discussions, workshops, activities and entertainment, by and for migrant mothers, their families and friends. The event marked the closing of the Mums at Work project.

We are proud to have hosted a day event that included two panels with grassroot experts on access to housing and employment, world food stands and a market of creations by migrant mothers, inspiring workshops, a photo exhibition on migrant mothers by femLENS, activities for children and the musical show of Senegalese singer Daba Makourejah. The event took place with the support of La Tricoterie, the Mums at Work European project and femLENS. Co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union.

On 6 March 2023 we hosted the “Migrant Mothers in Europe: Building a Common Future” Policy Seminar in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which aimed at sharing the outcomes and results of the Mums at Work project with migration and motherhood experts and organisations, as well as inform policy-makers on the challenges and barriers to migrant women’s access to the European labour market. The event include the screening of an animated campaign on the rights of migrant mothers.