MUT – Macherinnen: Women encouraging other women

Contact details 

Website: https://www.damigra.de/projekte/mut-projekt/ueber-das-projekt/ 

Introduction to the project

Country

Germany 

Duration

The project began in January 2016. Funding until the end of 2019 has been granted; it is expected that it will be continued in 2020/2021. 

Description

The project supports the voluntary assistance of migrant women towards refugee women. As “encouragers” and “bridge-builders” – migrant women inform, counsel, and accompany refugee women, and thus, support their inclusion into civil society. 

Project aims

Supporting and empowering refugee women and thus, promoting their social participation, by women who themselves also have a migration background. 

Resources used

The project is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration since 2016.  

Partners 

Local NGOs in the field of human and women’s rights, as well as in the field of asylum and migration. 

Municipal level: employment agencies, women’s shelters. 

Challenges and how they were overcome

Particular challenges lie in accessing refugee women who have not taken part in any integration measures before. Furthermore, it can be difficult to speak about sensitive aspects like personal problems or tensions within the family.  

These challenges were met by the voluntary “bridge-builders”. They could more easily access refugee women and create trust and confidence within the refugee women due to their own experiences with flight and migration. Speaking the same native language as each other is of great help. 

Results of the Good Practice 

  • About 30,000 volunteering women and refugee women have benefited from the empowerment program  

  • In this project, refugee women have created trust, have been informed about their rights, and have received access to integration measures 

  • In this project, refugee women have taken the initiative to participate in the host society