Approaches to valorise the High ENtrepreneuri Al potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration (ATHENA ) is a two-year (2021-22) project funded by the AMIF Program. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the economic and social integration of migrant women in the EU society by improving the services of entrepreneurship support oriented to migrant women and creating a specific entrepreneurial path for them.

Partnership

Siauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts – Lithuania
Chamber of Commerce of Seville – Spain
Incoma (International Consulting and Mobility Agency) – Spain
Nova Onlus – Italy
IHK – Germany
Eliamep (Hellenic Foundation for European  & Foreign Policy) – Greece
Digital Leadership Institute – Belgium

The project will directly benefit a 210 migrant women, it will increase the capacities of more than 35 professionals, it will create synergies with several organisations and it will finally intend to influence policies through a series of policy recommendations and Action Plans to be developed in the six regions in which the partners are located.

Aims:

To know the real demands and needs of migrant women regarding the entrepreneurial culture.
Improve the services provided by the public organisations to migrant women on entrepreneurship
Enable support to migrant women willing to launch a business activity, contributing to their economic and social integration.
Develop activities enhancing the social and economic integration of migrant women.
As an indirect objective, new business activities and with great possibilities of success will be launched.

Expected results:

Improved knowledge of needs and demands of migrant women, which will complement previous works and researches with additional fields of research and practical approach towards business support organizations’ services.
Improved and programmes supporting migrant women entrepreneurship. New services will be launched in each territory represented in the project, reflected in 6 action plans that will include an entrepreneurial path for migrant women ready to be adopted.
More women integrated economically and socially. Only during the project duration an expectation is that at least 30 women are targeted in the pilots in each participating region, what would represent a total of 210 women with increased entrepreneurial capacities.
Improved capacity of professionals assessing migrant women. With the project 35 officers and professionals will increase their capacities from several business support organizations, NGOs and other organizations directly working with migrant women.
Policy effectuation at different levels facilitated by a series of recommendations. These policy recommendations will be based on the lessons learnt during the project and will facilitate the transferability of the Action Plans or the adoption of measures within the policies of the different regions and countries in the European Union.

Outputs:

Identification and analysis of the needs of migrant women towards entrepreneurship. The study will imply direct engagement of migrant women and that of the stakeholders involved in the working groups.
Identification of good practices of business support services addressed to migrant women or that eventually could be adapted to support migrant women entrepreneurship
Preparation of support materials and activities for migrant women entrepreneurs
Training of professionals, professionals from the organizations working with entrepreneurs will be trained in the different topics identified by the needs identification and demands of the migrant women.
Personal assessment and training for the creation of new companies, elaboration of business plans, innovation and digital skills.
Financial support schemes. Advice and accompanying service for obtaining microcredits, financing for their business activity, grants and subsidies available for entrepreneurs.

More information:

Daiva Jonuskiene daiva.jonuskiene@sccic.lt , Inga Medzidoviene inga.medzidoviene@sccic.lt

POST (June, 2022):

Implementation of the project ATHENA is in its most intensive phase in Lithuania. Training of professionals to use online teamwork instruments and training of immigrant women of Lithuanian language was followed by a networking–counselling event. Here Businesswomen Network of Siauliai CCIC came into the action. On the 6th of June they have met Ukrainian immigrants in Telsiai. A warm conversation about life in Lithuania, hopes to work and earn money was initiated, opportunities to start a business were discussed. It was clear that sometimes only encouragement and advice on where to start is in need. Especially when the promise from experienced businesswoman for further follow-up and help follows.
Follow us also on our Instagram Account: @athenaamifproject
The ATHENA project is funded by #AMIF.
Project Partners: @camaracomerciosevilla, @SiauliuPPAR , @nova.consorzio, @eliamep, @incomagroup, @ihk.projekt, @DLIIorg,

POST (January, 2023):

“The event was empowering and showed that there is a different kind of life that can start with a small, very small change, one step at a time. I met energetic people and they energised me with their positivity and warmth”; “It was very important for me to learn from the experience of women entrepreneurs from different countries. I am full of energy and the knowledge that I can overcome all obstacles and difficulties if I move confidently towards my goal! Thank you to the Siauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts for providing me with this opportunity”.

These are a few testimonials from the motivational cooperation event for immigrant women in Rome organised by the Siauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts and the BWN with ATHENA project partners. Vlada Buivydienė left no one indifferent by sharing the objectives, activities and personal experience of the Business Women Network in Lithuania. Spontaneous  zumba break of Olga was something worth to have in every event.

Event in Rome wasn‘t the last activity of project to immigrant women. Participation in the BIO FOOD (EU4BCC project) forum in Villnius followed in November. Two women had opportunity to find themselves in the food producers‘ community and build their competences.

Final conference in Brussels is right on its way!

Policy Recommendation Report: Creating a clear pathway towards migrant women entrepreneurship

“We want to start businesses, we want to integrate, we have skills and ideas, and we can do it. But we need a solution to bureaucracy.” This intervention by a successful migrant woman entrepreneur at the presentation of the #AMIF funded www.athenaproject.net  at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, sticks out most in my mind and rings true – residency permit procedures and their short-term durations, as well as limited access to financing, were among the most cited challenges of migrant women entrepreneurs throughout the project. EU officials, funding agencies, policy-makers, think-tanks, chambers, international organizations, non-profits, and migrant women were in the room, joined in on the discussions, and reacted positively to the ATHENA project’s policy recommendations. Work group of Lithuania organised by SCCIC has also made their impact.

Executive Summary

Entrepreneurship is an important pathway leading to the economic and social integration of migrants, particularly for vulnerable female migrants, who often have greater needs for support and a work-life balance than their male counterparts. Entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship, is also an important factor for the economic and social development of countries, and migrant females often possess unique sets of knowledge and skills that can be the source of new business ideas.  Nevertheless, according to the work produced within the two-year long project of ATHENA (Approaches To valorize the High ENtrepreneuriAl potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration), migrant female entrepreneurs face many obstacles in their pursuit to open new companies. Fragmented national policies and public administration create bureaucratic barriers for female migrants, as well as insufficient entrepreneurial empowerment and support services, and limited access to micro-credit and financing tools. Aiming to tackle the aforementioned challenges, the ATHENA team invites EU and national policy makers to consider the following policy recommendations:

• Promote migrant women entrepreneurship as a key pathway to social and economic integration
• Promote the benefits of migrant women entrepreneurship to greater society
• Facilitate bureaucratic integration procedures for aspiring migrant women entrepreneurs
• Promote the creation of networks of migrant women entrepreneurs at local/regional/national and EU levels
• Improve connections between Business Support Organisations and Social Agents in direct contact with migrant women
• Provide entrepreneurship training and personal assessment services to migrant women entrepreneurs through trained professionals in Business Support Organizations
• Establish a coordinating mechanism at the national level for migrant entrepreneurship
• Raise awareness about available entrepreneurship support services among migrant women
• Encourage financial institutions to offer financial instruments adapted to migrant women entrepreneurs, with favorable conditions
• Provide training programs for migrant women entrepreneurs on traditional and non-traditional financing mechanisms

Impressions from Final Conference

Last month, the #athena project was presented at the European Economic and Social Committee. We are very proud of the results obtained, which have far exceeded the numbers we set ourselves a few years ago.

Many of the migrant women entrepreneurs who have been part of the ATHENA project joined this inspiring event. It was a meeting full of success stories, experts, entrepreneurs, and future AMIF project ideas. We are thankful that team from Siauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts was accompanied by Siauliai Businesswomen Network representatives.

The Final Conference brought a lot of useful insights and expertise, but the main thing was collaborative atmosphere which may be felt even from the event photos.

PHOTOS