EmpowerHer - Project Ahead

EmpowerHER – Enhancing Migrant Participation Overcoming Women’s Exploitation and Rebuilding Her Resilience

EmpowerHER is a European project co-funded by the AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) program that aims to support the socioeconomic integration of migrant women victims of trafficking in Italy, Greece, and Spain.

Through a holistic, personalized program of specialized support, economic empowerment, and employment inclusion, the project aims to provide these women with the tools to rebuild their lives, strengthening their resilience and promoting their autonomy.

EmpowerHER is a collaboration between five European partner organizations with proven experience in supporting vulnerable people, training, economic empowerment, and social inclusion: Project Ahead (lead partner), Consorzio Percorsi, Innovation Hive, Kinoniko EKAV, and Fundacion Sieneva.

Context and Target

In Europe, human trafficking is one of the most serious forms of human rights violations, disproportionately affecting migrant women from third countries. In particular, Italy, Spain, and Greece, as the main points of entry for migration flows, face significant challenges in ensuring protection, reception, and effective inclusion for victims.

Women living alone and without a support network are most exposed to forms of sexual and labor exploitation, often falling into cycles of marginalization and economic dependence. EmpowerHER was created to address these specific needs, providing concrete solutions to promote the socioeconomic integration of women victims of trafficking.

The project’s primary beneficiaries are women from third countries who have been trafficked for the purpose of exploitation. Secondary stakeholders include institutions, social workers, local communities, and employers, who play a key role in the reintegration process.

Project Objectives

In response to these challenges, EmpowerHER aims to strengthen the autonomy and integration of migrant women victims of trafficking through a multidimensional and participatory approach.

The overall objectives are:

Promote the active inclusion and socioeconomic autonomy of migrants, preventing recidivism.
Strengthen European cooperation between organizations involved in reception and integration processes.

Specific objectives are:

Offer multidimensional support to migrant women victims of trafficking.
Strengthen beneficiaries’ civic, linguistic, and professional skills to facilitate their independence.
Promote job placement and economic empowerment through orientation, training, and mentoring.
Foster dialogue between businesses, institutions, and civil society.
Increase the awareness and skills of professionals working with migrant women victims of trafficking.
Promote and disseminate good practices at the European level to improve the impact of integration policies.