The RIDE course was designed especially for refugee and migrant women who wish to be trained as virtual assistants and supported during their inclusion process in their host country, Greece.
The course taking place in a hybrid manner (online and face to face) from February – June 2022, was facilitated by Symplexis. The training team focused on exploring the participating women’s needs and difficulties. Their legal and family statuses were essential factors when designing the training program with long-term benefits. Most of the trainees were recognised as women refugees, others with a migrant background, and one with a special humanitarian status, as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
All participants faced difficult life situations, especially those still in a transition situation – being new in their host country. Lack of local language knowledge, being a single parent, and missing out on training and working opportunities because of obligations with their children, were their main obstacles to finding a suitable job and having a regular income.
The main goal was to support participants in all aspects of their long-term integration. The empowerment sessions were built around their concrete needs: access to the job market, social life, social services, and finding free opportunities, such as Greek language classes or intercultural events.
The Virtual Assistant training sessions, running parallel with the empowerment sessions, were delivered virtually by Symplexis’ partner, Code To Change.
Participants embraced the opportunity to speak about their experiences. Sharing their stories in a safe environment – after going through multiple traumas – had a great impact on their integration and in general, their lives. Trusting and sharing are fundamental for learning and connecting.
The participating women evaluated the training very positively, mentioning the importance of being able to participate hybrid, with their choice of time and space.
Download the Press Release.
RIDE- Reach Inclusion through Digital Empowerment for migrant women
The RIDE project aims at including migrant and refugee women into the digital labour market by specially designed courses and training. A major part of the project is dedicated to preparing them for accessing the labour market and raising awareness about women rights in the host countries.
The anticipated long-term impact of the project is to empower women and equip them with the necessary tools that will enable them to put in the right track their own integration process during and beyond the lifetime of the project.
RIDE is a 2-year project, funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (Project no. AMIF-2019-AG-CALL-957916).
