Enhancing migrant women’s democratic participation highlighted in WE-EMPOWER toolkit

NGO Atina features prominently in the newly launched Toolkit for enhancing the democratic participation of Migrant Women in Europe through Community Building and Strategic Communication. This comprehensive guide, developed as part of the WE-EMPOWER project, highlights the importance of creating inclusive spaces where migrant women can actively engage in shaping democratic societies.

The toolkit, supported by the European Union's ERASMUS+ program, brings together insights, best practices, and practical tools from organizations across Europe. It highlights feminist methodologies, participatory community-building approaches, and strategic communication techniques, all aimed at removing barriers to democratic participation for migrant women. Atina’s chapter, Co-Creating Advocacy Efforts with Refugee Women, showcases its innovative work in empowering migrant women in Serbia and beyond.

Why This Toolkit Matters

Democratic participation is not just a right but a cornerstone for building resilient and equitable societies. However, migrant women across Europe face multiple barriers—legal, social, and cultural—that limit their ability to engage in political and community life. The toolkit emphasizes that empowering migrant women is key to addressing inequalities and fostering a more inclusive society.

By combining theoretical frameworks with real-world examples, the toolkit serves as a practical resource for educators, civil society organizations, policymakers, and activists. It highlights the importance of examining existing power structures and developing strategies to amplify the voices of marginalized groups.

Atina’s featured chapter explores its feminist community-building approach, which focuses on enabling refugee women to lead advocacy efforts. The organization’s work exemplifies the core principle of “Nothing about us, without us,” ensuring that migrant women are not just participants but central figures in designing solutions.

Using participatory workshops and advocacy training, Atina has created platforms for migrant women to share their experiences and influence systemic change. A key highlight of Atina’s work includes a public event in Serbia, where refugee women engaged in direct dialogue with government representatives. This exchange shed light on institutional gaps and fostered mutual understanding, driving commitments toward improved support systems.

The WE-EMPOWER Toolkit incorporates two main approaches, feminist community building and strategic communication. This approach emphasizes shared leadership, mutual learning, and creating safe spaces where diverse voices can be heard and valued. By addressing power asymmetries, it ensures marginalized groups can influence decisions that affect their lives. The toolkit guides organizations in using purposeful communication to achieve specific goals, such as amplifying the voices of migrant women and challenging stereotypes. It outlines methods for designing campaigns, utilizing diverse media platforms, and building narratives that resonate with different audiences.

The toolkit serves as a vital resource for anyone working to advance the rights of migrant women. It highlights actionable steps to overcome barriers to participation, such as addressing language challenges, promoting economic empowerment, and fostering collaboration between civil society and policymakers.

Atina’s work, presented alongside contributions from other leading organizations in Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Italy, offers a transnational perspective on empowering migrant women to lead and advocate for change.

To access the complete toolkit and learn more about Atina’s pioneering efforts, visit WE-EMPOWER Project Home - We Empower 

You can find the toolkit below.