from EXclusion to PArticipation Erasmus Project

Project Title

from EXclusion to PArticipation

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Access for disadvantaged; Integration of refugees

Project Summary

One of the most significant changes in the last decade is the increasing proportion of migrant women; today they constitute half of the international migrant population. EU statistics show that the employment rate, education and professional qualification level of migrant women is systematically lower than that of native women, and for this reason they are at greater risk of social exclusion. The following characteristics typical of this target group such as: gender, non-EU origin, lack of linguistic skills and other skills can become disadvantages in their lives. Moreover, many of them also come from cultures where it is customary for women to stay home, take care of household chores and children. These women are practically “invisible” in economic, social, learning and other daily activities within their local communities.

The EXPA project – “from EXCLUSION to PArticipation” was aimed at migrant women, aged between 20 and 60, with fewer opportunities, but who wish to practice and further develop their craftsmanship skills, making them become real businesses by improving their possibilities for work and social integration. With the EXPA project we started training courses, offering the possibility to a large number of women to participate in the various cultural and social activities, starting also the pathways of entrepreneurship, meeting and discussing with people outside the straight family circle. To the women who took part in the training courses within our project we tried to give a sustainable and lasting answer to their needs and from the results obtained we can say that it will be an effective tool for their integration into the social and economic life of the host community .

Six partners from 6 different EU Member States (Italy, Iceland, France, Cyprus, Lithuania and the Netherlands), different organizations (NGOs involved in the welcoming of migrants, training centers and adult learning organizations) have took part in the project activities and allowed their staff to share good practices, discuss problems, explore needs, acquire knowledge, develop and compare learning solutions for migrant women. The partnership involved institutions that complemented each other in terms of skills and competences, as well as common visions and strategies for the development of lifelong learning opportunities and greater inclusion of migrant women. The project included partners from countries with different percentages and social status of migrant women and so it was very interesting to be able to compare the different methods and approaches used for immigrant women in different countries.

In the initial phase of the project we did an in-depth research investigating the situation and needs of migrant women living in the 6 countries involved, paying particular attention to the strategies and tools developed in these countries to foster the social and economic integration of this vulnerable group of recipients. By comparing the results we have developed the EXPA training model, which was conceived as a set of capacitive workshops to activate and improve the employability of migrant women through craftsmanship and creativity. The training model developed below was tested with a pilot training course and subsequently evaluated and adapted to the needs of our target group, planning new activities to promote the personal, social and professional development of the participants. The final result is a training model with which to our target group we can provide transversal and basic skills, appropriate counseling, allowing trainers to work in an intercultural learning environment using informal methods. After pilot implementations the partners prepared the material to be included in the EXPA manual (e-book) by creating guidelines for trainers, including detailed descriptions of good practices, teaching materials, tools and detailed training activities for the preparation and implementation of learning activities for unemployed, poorly qualified and educated migrant women in the craft sector. We believe that our handbook will enable professionals engaged in providing non-formal learning for migrant women to expand their creativity, motivate them and increase the quality of their work by being better equipped with multicultural skills and innovative learning tools at transnational level.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 89650 Eur

Project Coordinator

ONG O.S.A ONLUS & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Jafnréttishús
• Turkse Arbeidersvereniging in Nederland
• Viesoji istaiga Socialines pletros ir konsultaciju centras
• GUIMEL
• KISA – Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism