CONSOLIDATE is a project coordinated by Eurocities, in partnership with the European Network of Migrant Women, MigrationWork, and 12 cities/municipalities (Athens (EL), Cluj-Metropolitan Area (RO), Dortmund (DE), Fuenlabrada (ES), Ghent (BE), Gothenburg (SE), Lublin (PL), Milan (IT), Nantes (FR), Sofia (BG), Vienna (AT), and Zagreb (HR), co-funded by the European Union’s AMIF fund.
The main aim of the project CONSOLIDATE is to facilitate the transition from short-term emergency responses to sustainable integration strategies for migrants in Europe, particularly in areas experiencing recent sharp increases in the arrivals of refugees and migrants. It seeks to build on existing coordination efforts and local initiatives, fostering mutual learning and policy innovation to develop effective, future-proof integration strategies. This involves collaboration with various stakeholders including local authorities, national governments, civil society, and migrants themselves, to address the challenges posed by increasing migration and diversity within the EU.
In facing these challenges, CONSOLIDATE will set up communities of practice (COP) that take stock of the most efficient tools and transferrable best practices; and accompany – through financial and technical support – 12 local authorities in designing innovative policy pilots for more effective support in the areas:
1) effective labour market integration for refugees and other newcomers
2) local support instruments for refugees towards housing autonomy
3) One Stop Shops as accessible and efficient model for coordinated service provision. Together, these areas address 2 of the 4 priority sectors of the Action Plan on Integration.
Furthermore, CONSOLIDATE will provide training to partner and external cities and identify best practice in responding to the cross-cutting challenges of:
A) collecting and sharing client data in integration support – addressing principles of the EU Action Plan such as multi-stakeholder cooperation and more evidence-based integration policies;
B) developing women-centred approaches to integration – in line with the Action Plan’s assessment that women face specific integration obstacles that need to be considered;
C) managing transition from emergency to a strategic approach to integration – responding to challenges of cities with little prior experience and taking up the Action Plan’s general governance principles, such as co-design and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
Through its communities of practice, its training sessions and its integration champions’ support, CONSOLIDATE will provide structured, tailored and efficient support for cities in 12 member states; and further cities outside the project.
In CONSOLIDATE, the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW) is one of the management teams within the project and amongst other responsibilities will deliver three training sessions on cross-cutting governance challenges including on women-centred approaches and will participate in all 12 peer review visits to the partner cities. Furthermore, ENoMW and its subcontracted members: Por Ti Mujer, Union of Ukrainian Women in Greece, Weavers of Hope and Oasis as well as the Finnish Syrian friendship will oversee the migrant advisory board that will form part of the management structure of the project.
We are pleased to share our policy brief “Addressing Women’s Needs in Local Integration Strategies”, developed in collaboration with Eurocities and MigrationWork as part of the CONSOLIDATE project.
The brief highlights how municipalities are uniquely positioned to adopt a
women-centered approach to integration that addresses intersectional discrimination, removes structural barriers, and fosters long-term inclusion. It outlines seven key actions for cities, tools for local action, and concrete recommendations to close the integration gap for migrant and refugee women.
Following the Cluj-Napoca visit, Anna Zobnina, ENoMW Executive Director, and Ane Gonzalez from Por Ti Mujer joined a follow-up peer review in Fuenlabrada, hosted by the municipality’s employment department.
Alongside Eurocities, MigrationWork, and city reps from Milan, Athens, and Sofia, they held interviews with city officials, NGOs, and migrant and refugee women.
As a network led by and for migrant women, ENoMW brought their voices to the table—offering practical recommendations, especially on improving job access for migrant mothers.
Frohar Poya, ENoMW’s Project & Research Officer, and Yulia Gluj from Ukrainian Women Union in Greece, joined a CONSOLIDATE peer review in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Together with cities like Vienna, Milan, and Fuenlabrada, they explored one-stop shops for migrant services and shared integration strategies. ENoMW emphasised the need to make migrant women’s needs visible, urging a sex-disaggregated approach to ensure services meet their specific realities.
They also called for dedicated spaces and resources for migrant women’s organisations to strengthen their role in shaping inclusive cities.
Frohar Poya and Emma Gooding from Oasis Belgium joined a CONSOLIDATE peer review in Ghent to assess how the city coordinates migrant integration. Over three days, they held 25+ interviews with NGOs, officials, and migrants to identify strengths and gaps.
A key issue? Ghent lacks a dedicated integration strategy. The team recommended a clear plan –
co-designed with migrants – and stressed the need to center migrant women’s voices in shaping policies and services.
Alyssa Ahrabare represented ENoMW alongside Blessing Okoedion (representing Weavers of Hope) in a peer-review visit to Milan, as part of the CONSOLIDATE project’s Employment Community of Practice.
Alongside partners and city reps from Athens, Fuenlabrada, and Sofia, they reviewed Milan’s employment and integration strategies, with a clear focus on migrant women.
Milan showcased promising practices such as tailored support services, strong interdepartmental coordination, and recognition of VAWG in integration plans.
The city also launched a Migrant Welcome Centre – a one-stop hub for newcomers. ENoMW is calling for this centre’s coordinator to play a strategic role in ensuring women-centred integration.
In mid-February, Alyssa Ahrabare (Capacity Building Coordinator at ENoMW) and Mania Al Khatib (Vice-President of MONIKA – Finnish Member Organisation) visited Gothenburg for a peer-review focused on the city’s integration strategy—specifically around access to housing.
The visit examined how Gothenburg supports the transition from emergency housing to more sustainable, long-term solutions for migrants and refugees. A key goal of this CONSOLIDATE visit was to ensure that the needs of migrant women were being considered, and to assess whether the city’s current approaches were sufficiently tailored to those needs.
Recommendations were made, with special emphasis on the importance of considering pregnancy, sex, and being a victim of violence as vulnerability factors when developing sustainable housing solutions.
Frohar Poya and Yulia from Ukrainian Women Union in Greece led a peer review in Athens for the Employment Community of Practice. They met with civil society groups, city officials, and our Greek member organisation Melissa Network to assess migrant women’s access to work. Their findings were shared with the Deputy Mayor and ministry reps.
ENoMW visited day centres in Nantes that support young migrants excluded from child welfare. Many face serious hardship, especially girls. She urged city officials to adopt a women-centered approach – safe spaces, specialised training, and legal aid. The city, committed to fighting sexism, welcomed our recommendations.
Over the past few months, ENoMW has continued its commitment to driving real change for migrant and refugee women through a series of CONSOLIDATE city visits across Europe.
In October 2024, Frohar Poya (ENoMW’s Research and Outreach Lead) and Tipper Talumassawat (Oasis Belgium) conducted a field visit in Lublin, Poland.
In November 2024, Mania Alkhatib, Advisory Board Member of CONSOLIDATE and representative of the Finnish Syrian Friendship Association (a member of MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland), carried out a visit in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Frohar Poya and Yulia Kryzhanovska (Ukrainian Women in Greece) traveled to Zagreb, Croatia.
Each of these three-day visits included in-depth interviews with city administrators, NGOs, and individuals working directly with migrant populations.
The insights gathered were translated into actionable recommendations and presented to city mayors and local policymakers, fostering constructive dialogue and collaboration.
On Thursday, 6 March 2025, the CONSOLIDATE project hosted an online training session for local authorities on Addressing Women’s Needs in Local Integration Strategies.
💡 The training focused on:
Women-centred integration measures
Key principles and best practices
Practical solutions for cities, with dedicated breakout sessions on Gothenburg and Milan
With only 50 available spots, the training reached a highly engaged group of participants directly involved in shaping local responses to migration and integration. The interactive format and case-based discussions offered concrete tools to help cities with their local strategies.
This session marked a significant step in building municipal capacity and advancing inclusive policymaking—one of the key goals of the CONSOLIDATE project.
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