Empowering Migrant Women to Redefine the Conversation on Migration
How to create space for stories that deeply resonate and inspire significant dialogues? Find also a curated selection of news, resources, opportunities and more!
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2024!
After a brief and well-deserved break, we are excited to be back in action, ready to make strides in redefining migration narratives and amplifying the voices of migrant women.
The energy from our first advisory board meeting in December has ignited a flame of inspiration. We are setting our plans to transform the ideas discussed into tangible actions that will drive our mission forward.
I am writing to you from my hometown, Sao Paulo, in Brazil; I find myself surrounded by the warmth of family after a long period apart. This personal experience reinforces the significance of familial bonds. Still, it also highlights to me the challenges many people face as a result of inhumane immigration policies that keep families separated.
There is much work to be done, and Migrant Women Press is committed to making a meaningful impact in the months ahead.
Our goal is to provide a platform for migrant women to share their stories authentically, reshaping the narrative surrounding migration.
In the midst of vibrant distractions (here it is summertime, and the country is preparing for the Carnival!) I am dedicated to ensuring that our collective efforts result in positive outcomes.
I wish a wonderful and impactful year for all!
Juliana da Penha
Founder Editor
In this newsletter, you will find:
🗣 Migrant Women Press updates
🗞 a curated selection of news and stories about migration matters.
📣 opportunities
📚🎧🎞 a selection of resources and more!
🗣MWP Updates
We are delighted to introduce two incredible additions to our team—Lilia Tira, our Business Development Advisor, and Eleni Kepelian, our Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator. They will contribute their expertise in guiding our journey toward sustainability, crafting a robust financial strategy, identifying potential funding sources, and seizing opportunities to promote MWP and beyond.
🗞 Migrant Women Press curated news and stories 🗞
The Guardian: ‘Food is a tool for change’: the Turkish chef who empowers women, helps refugees – and serves a mean dobo
Ebru Baybara Demir, the recipient of a prestigious global gastronomy prize in 2023, carefully blends cultural exchange and humanitarian relief into her culinary narrative in southeast Turkey. Beyond her culinary expertise, Demir passionately embraces a multifaceted approach to her work, showcasing the transformative power of food not only as a sensory experience but also as a conduit for fostering understanding and addressing pressing humanitarian issues.
The New Humanitarian: Rather than looking for scapegoats, Morocco is cashing in on South-South migration
Morocco is taking a proactive strategy to tackle labour shortages by utilising South-South migration instead of adopting scapegoating measures. In contrast to some Maghreb countries like Tunisia, where government actions exacerbate xenophobia, Morocco officially embraces its multi-ethnic heritage. However, the article notes that despite this official stance, localised animosity persists, particularly towards undocumented African migrants passing through the nation.
Display Europe - Foreign Workers - A vital and neglected pillar of Europe’s Economy
There are difficulties in safeguarding the rights of third-country nationals working in the labour markets of European Union countries. The challenges stem from legal and political complexities, particularly in the context of immigration laws and international relations. To ensure the well-being and fair treatment of these individuals, there is a need for collaborative efforts and thoughtful policymaking. This approach becomes especially crucial, considering the substantial contributions made by third-country nationals to the economies of their host nations.
El Diario: Canary Islands, The World’s Deadliest Border: 6,007 People Died Trying to Reach The Islands in 2023
The Canary Islands, known for their natural beauty, have unfortunately gained a grim reputation as the world's deadliest border. The staggering toll of 6,007 lives lost in 2023 underscores the severity of the challenges faced by those attempting to reach the islands, often in search of safety and opportunities.
📷 Photo Spotlight
Steamship Rio Amazonas. Migrants from Italy disembarked in the Port of Santos, Brazil, in 1907. Photo by T.H. Wendt. (1907)
📣 Take an Action!
In a powerful initiative, Glasgow-based African and migrant women-led organisations have launched a campaign to support Maria Mutadiua, a former healthcare worker and current bus driver from Mozambique, in her plea to attend her son's funeral. Tragically, Maria's son, Quinton Isaac Maliya, reportedly took his own life under the care of foster parents, and she has faced the additional hardship of being denied permission to be present at his burial. Maria's heart-wrenching appeal to Scottish Social Services highlights the broader issues of institutional racism and inhumane immigration policies that have led to the separation of mothers from their children. This poignant case underscores the need for compassion and reform within the system. We will continue to follow this case and provide updates on this deeply sensitive situation.
Find more about the campaign here.
📣 Opportunities, resources and more!
👷🏾♀️Jobs
African Women in Media is looking for a Chief Editor
✍🏾 Opportunities
Pass The Mic 2024 writing group is open for applications. This project aims to tackle the under-representation and misrepresentation of women of colour in Scotland’s public life and media.
Migrant Voice is looking for volunteers to get involved in creating blog posts, newsletters, flyers, zines, infographics, social media content, and more.
📅 Events
Launching the 3rd online issue of the Other Side of Hope Magazine, a UK-based literary magazine edited by immigrants & refugees
🗣Support
Sahara Scotland – Independent Domestic Abuse Advocacy Service for Muslim & BME Women (Amina MWRC)
Monday – Friday (10:00am – 4:00pm), contact: sahara@mwrc.org.uk, 0141 212 8420. Helpline: 0808 801 0301.
💰Funding Opportunities
The Migrant Help Community Hubs Grant Scheme aims to support new and existing community hubs and drop-in services that increase support and access to local services for asylum seekers and refugees.
Help Migrant Women Press to amplify migrant women's voices, redefine migration narratives and bring more diverse voices to the media.
🎧🎞📚MWP Selection
📚 75 books by women of color to read in 2024 by Electric Literature
🎧 Listen to The Guardian podcast to understand how Filipino domestic workers become trapped
🎞 ORIGIN, directed by Ava DuVernay, is a compelling cinematic adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's Pulitzer Prize-winning book 'Caste,' hitting screens on January 19th to illuminate the powerful narrative of systemic racial injustice, delivering an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience."
✨ This month's quote✨
When I dare to be powerful — to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. –Audre Lorde
Support a migrant women-led independent media. Help Migrant Women Press to amplify migrant women's voices, redefine migration narratives and bring more diverse voices to the media.
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