1. 1 Equal Rights, Equal Voices A Roadmap for Migrant Women in the EU

2. 2 Gender – fundamental structuring element Intersectionality gender and ethnicity = compound women’s inequality and discrimination Examples Employment rate by gender: European Women Non European WomenMen 56.3%44%71.3% Unemployment 10%19%7.6% City of Berlin: Estimated 50.000 undocumented migrant women in informal care sector and private households

3. 3 Equal Rights – Equal Voices Migrant women in the EU 1.Migration - increasing EU issue 2.Total lack of a gender perspective 3.Women as heterogeneous – issues of diversity 4.Migrant women should be in a position to speak for themselves rather on their behalf 5.Facilitate migrant women’s voices to shape European policies on migration 6.Initiate a debate at European level on the urgent need for an approach to integration/migration policies which take into account women’s rights

4. 4 Objectives of EWL long-term project with and for migrant women Bring together migrant women activists from across the European Union and candidate countries to debate and exchange on the main challenges they experience in terms of integration and empowerment in European host countries Discuss opportunities to develop and strengthen networking between migrant women NGOs and with women’s organisations at national and European levels Strengthen relations between migrant women NGOs and EWL national co-ordinations - ensure a better visibility and representation of migrant women within EWL structures Ultimate objective: development of specific focus/space of migrant women: either specific structure within EWL or independent

5. 5 Actions to date Public seminar and workshops with migrant women activists identified by EWL national co-ordinations – 19-21 January 2007, Brussels Migrant women EU mailing list Publication of the report which includes the conclusions adopted during the event. Participation of 4 of the migrant women activists in EWL seminar on women and religion (18 May 2007) Seminar at EWL GA on Advancing Migrant Women’s Rights in the European Union (26 October 2007) (2008) Pilot Project in some countries: National capacity building, strengthen networking of migrant women’s NGOs at national and European level

6. 6 Issues identified at seminar in January 2007 Independent legal status regardless of the reasons of migration Equality of rights – recognition of qualifications Document women’s voices and experiences – shape policies European legal framework protection from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) No cultural relativism to justify/legitimise violence against migrant women Guarantee of the right to work – eradicate all forms of discrimination Gender sensitive statistics and data on migration Legal recognition and protection of care workers Adopt and ratify UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers Access to European citizenship Reinforce capacity building of migrant women’s grass root organisations Develop partnership and co-operation with countries of origin

7. 7 Asylum is not gender neutral

8. 8 www.womenlobby.org