This Manual is the result of the common work of 9 organizations in 5 European countries operating daily on the field as providers of empowering and transformative support and/or training services. They gathered together in order to explore and develop solutions to a problem that they realized was common within their areas of operation in their respective countries.

The partners acknowledged that the participation of the person in the social interaction that takes place in various levels of everyday life as crucial for reversing exclusion. Following the sociological line of thought, in doing that, it also shapes or constructs reality. This in turn means that the persons that are hindered from participating in this interaction, regardless of the reasons that this happens, are actually excluded from the processes that shape their own reality too. Ιt would not be without foundation to say that it is the Third Country Nationals, especially the women among them, that offer the most representative example of how this mechanism of exclusion-inclusion, not to mention discrimination, works.

This Manual based upon a thorough evaluation process carried out during the lifetime of the project, reflects the experience the SIMRA partners gained and the lessons they learned in implementing the Project. It contains the descriptions of the actions, tools and methods that were used to foster active participation of migrant/asylum seeking/refugee women in the ‘host’ society as a means towards their inclusion in it. The most important message the partners want to share with this Manual and the most important lesson learnt, is that attempts to integrate and include migrant women must be of a holistic/comprehensive character. They must address a range of needs andif possible, simultaneously respond to the challenges or problems the woman herself acknowledges. It is imperative the success of integration-oriented interventions project working with migrant women that all factors are considered, namely the receiver of the services, the social service/facility that offers the services and the local community where the intervention takes place.

SIMRA Intervention Manual and Guidelines

Annex 1 - Motivation Assessment Questionnaire Part A & B

Annex 2 - “Understanding the past to create the future”

Annex 3 - Community Champions Model

Annex 4 - Guide for the exploration of skills

Annex 5 - “Creative English” tool

Annex 6 - The Cyprus Migrant Women’s Model Forum

Annex 7 - Networking and Public Forums to promote dialogue among Migrant Associations and local NGOs to facilitate inclusion of TCNs

Annex 8 - Employability Learning - In Work Situations

Annex 9 - Guide for the interview for vocational (re)orientation