Embarking on a collective journey towards 2024
Explore Migrant Women Press 2023 highlights, news, our special selection, and more.
In this newsletter, you will find:
🗣 Migrant Women Press 2023 highlights.
🗞 a selection of news and stories about migration matters.
📚🎧🎞 a selection of resources and more!
For an independent organisation relying solely on volunteers, this year has been incredibly productive!
Our most significant achievement was assembling a dedicated team that shares our mission and vision, working collaboratively to amplify the voices of migrant women.
I want to take a moment to extend my sincere gratitude to the exceptional women from the MWP team.
This year, we were shortlisted for two prestigious awards: the Georgina Henry Awards at the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards and the Scottish Refugee Council Media Awards.
Another crucial milestone was obtaining official registration as a social enterprise, now operating as Migrant Women Press CIC—a Community Interest Company. This status allows us to generate revenue to sustain our organisation and deliver projects. We thank Edge Fund for supporting us with our inaugural grant.
Throughout the year, we published 30 pieces, sent out eight monthly newsletters, provided weekly news updates, and expanded our presence on social media.
This year, we also engaged in special projects, such as "Migrant Voices" with the independent publication The Chritical.
We also participated in the #16days of activism, a global campaign to end gender-based violence and organised a call inviting women to write to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.
We participated in conferences, spoke with Journalism students, and attended key media events like The International Journalism Festival and The Independent News Forum—all contributing to our impactful journey.
We were honoured to be invited by Pass The Mic to the National Gathering of Women of Color in Scotland, where we conducted a workshop on starting one's own publication.
Becoming a regulated Impress member is a significant accomplishment in journalism, reflecting our commitment to publishing with integrity. Additionally, we joined the Independent Media Association in the UK and became a member of the Scottish Beacon in Scotland.
This year, we are also working on rebranding Migrant Women Press, developing a new visual identity that we're excited to share with you soon.
It has been a year filled with valuable lessons as we strive to fulfil our mission: changing media narratives, amplifying migrant women's voices, and promoting diversity in the media.
I express here my gratitude for your participation in this collective journey and hope you stay with us in 2024.
Juliana da Penha - Migrant Women Press Founder Editor
🗞Migrant Women Press curated a selection of news and stories for you 🗞
Unbias the News: 1000 Lives, 0 Names: The Border Graves Investigation - How the EU is failing migrants' last rights
A cross-border investigation has confirmed a staggering 1,015 unmarked graves of migrants across Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Poland, Lithuania, France, and Croatia. These graves, discovered in 65 cemeteries over the past decade, bear silent witness to the tragic fates of individuals who lost their lives in pursuit of a better future in Europe. Through over 60 interviews conducted in six languages, The Border Graves Investigation Team heard heart-wrenching stories from families grappling with the bureaucratic challenges of searching for and, if found, burying their loved ones.
Human Rights Watch: To End Cruel Migration Policies, Humanize Those They Impact
In a move that has sparked widespread concern and condemnation, the European Union and its member states have devised a blueprint aimed at sidestepping their human rights responsibilities towards asylum seekers and migrants, particularly those originating from Africa and the Middle East.
The Big Issue: Councils plead for ‘urgent’ help to deal with surge in refugees evicted into homelessness
In an urgent plea for support, councils throughout England are grappling with a looming crisis of refugee evictions and homelessness, prompting the Local Government Association (LGA) to issue a stark warning.
The schoolgirls and sportswomen resisting France’s abaya ban
In France, a country historically proud of its secular state, Muslim women find themselves increasingly marginalized as politicians pandering to the far right perpetuate policies that isolate them from society. Faced with the challenges of being shut out, these women are now taking matters into their own hands, spearheading a movement to reclaim bodily autonomy.
Social Europe: Unfreezing the frames: media diversity in Europe
The journalist Ankita Anand, in her insightful commentary, emphasizes the crucial need for greater diversity in Europe's media landscape. She contends that for the media to authentically reflect the diverse world it reports on, there must be a concerted effort to incorporate a broader range of voices and perspectives.
📣Research Highlight: Femicide involving migrant women in Europe
The European Network of Migrant Women is collecting femicide cases involving women with migrant, refugee, ethnic minority, or migrant backgrounds across EU states, as well as Serbia, the UK, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein throughout the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Its primary objective is to meticulously document and analyse incidents, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by these communities.
Find the form to fill out here.
🎧🎞📚MWP Selection
📚 Climate Migration 101: An Explainer
Unveiling the complexities of climate-induced migration, this concise guide from the Migration Policy Institute provides insights into the causes, impacts, and potential solutions surrounding the phenomenon.
🎧 Women migrant workers: Heroes of remittance or survivors of violence?
In this enlightening episode of the Gender Equality Talks Podcast Series, the spotlight turns to the myriad challenges faced by women migrant workers in Asia. The conversation gains depth and diversity as three esteemed feminist journalists and editors contribute their perspectives, each rooted in a distinct cultural and professional context.
🎞 Challenging stereotypes - A beauty salon for everyone
At Leipzig's "Grand Beauty" salon, individuals with refugee or migrant backgrounds serve as hairdressers, make-up artists, and manicurists, offering their skills on a donation basis with the overarching aim of dismantling stereotypes and fostering inclusivity.
✨ This month's quote✨
“Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible.” Angela Davies
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