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W-Star
A two-year transnational project coordinated by the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) in partnership with us, New Women Connectors from the Netherlands, COSPE from Italy, and MoveGlobal from Germany.
Meaningful Participation of Migrant and Refugee Women Across the EU: Roundtable Discussion at the European Parliament
23 June 2026
European Parliament, Brussels
Event: Final W-Star Project Event
Co-Hosted By: MEP Anna Strolenberg, Volt (Greens/EFA)
Moderator: Anila Noor, New Women Connectors
About the Event
Meaningful participation of migrant and refugee women is essential to ensure that EU migration and integration policies are grounded in lived experience, uphold democratic inclusion, and respond to the intersecting barriers women face. Nevertheless, their participation in decision-making processes across the EU remains underdeveloped as a policy priority.
This roundtable discussion was organised by the W-Star consortium as a concluding event for the project. Co-hosted by MEP Anna Strolenberg from Volt (Greens/EFA), the event brought together varied perspectives from migrant and refugee women, civil society, policymakers, and think tanks on the participation of migrant and refugee women across Europe.
At a time when the political situation and migration policies in many EU countries continue to marginalise and deprioritise women’s rights, this discussion aimed to provide a constructive space for dialogue between migrant and refugee women, European civil society, and EU policymakers.
W-Star project partners gather at the European Parliament.
Panel speakers highlight the barriers and solutions to participation for migrant and refugee women in the EU.
Objectives of the Event
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Highlight Impacts of EU Migration Policies: Explore how securitised migration approaches and rising anti-migrant sentiments affect the inclusion and meaningful participation of migrant and refugee women across Europe.
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Identify Strategies for Change & Collaboration: Discuss concrete recommendations from the W-Star consortium and civil society to counter structural barriers and strengthen meaningful participation in European societies.
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Robust Exchange with MEPs & Stakeholders: Generate a space for exchange on the role of the European Parliament and the EU, exploring how synergies can be generated to incorporate migrant and refugee women’s perspectives directly into policymaking.
Speakers
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MEP Anna Strolenberg – Volt (Greens/EFA)
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Maria Angeli – Researcher & Project Coordinator, Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS)
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Noura Ghazoui – Vice President, Co.C.IMA APS
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Elizabeth Ngari – Founder, Women in Exile
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Dr. Basak Yavcan – Head of Research, Migration Policy Group
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Oyidiya Oji Palano – Policy & Advocacy Advisor for Digital Rights, European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
Moderator: Anila Noor, New Women Connectors
Programme
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Opening Remarks: MEP Anna Strolenberg
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Presentation: Key findings and recommendations from the W-Star Consortium
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Civil Society Interventions: Barriers to participation of migrant and refugee women
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Policymaker Response: Responses from MEP Anna Strolenberg
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Open Discussion: Interactive dialogue with MEPs, civil society, and participants
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Closing: Closing remarks and group photo
Project Outcomes Across Europe
Representing the W-Star consortium, Maria Angeli presented the outcomes of activities implemented across four countries: the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, and Germany. She outlined a variety of formats used to engage stakeholders ranging from public discussions and multi-stakeholder roundtables to community-level convenings that brought migrant and refugee women into direct dialogue with political leaders and decision-makers.
Key Insights from Panelists:
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Elizabeth Ngari (Women in Exile): Grounded the room in the lived realities of asylum-seeking and the compounding barriers migrant women face especially in isolated camps ("lagers" in Germany) highlighting the grassroots infrastructure her organization has built to fill systemic gaps.
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Noura Ghazoui (Co.C.IMA APS): Emphasized that meaningful participation cannot stop at first-generation migrants. Second- and third-generation migrant women need a genuine seat at the table, not a symbolic one.
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Oyidiya Oji Palano (ENAR): Offered a critical look at EU migration governance, drawing from ENAR's report, ‘Raceless in Name Only: Whiteness and Racial Governance of Mobility in the European Union’, to show how policy frameworks actively reproduce and entrench racial inequalities.
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Dr. Basak Yavcan (Migration Policy Group): Shared tracking data showing that political participation is a key prerequisite for integration, yet it is stagnating across the region a warning sign for the overall health of European democracy.
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MEP Anna Strolenberg: Provided her response as an EU policymaker, acknowledging the challenging political climate surrounding migration. She urged participants to keep holding decision-makers accountable and to closely monitor how the EU Migration Pact is implemented in practice.
the big picture
Over the last two years, our consortium New Women Connectors, MIGS, MoveGlobal, and COSPE engaged hundreds of migrant and refugee women, policymakers, researchers, civil society members, and the general public. Together, we worked to shift the narrative from seeing migrant women as passive recipients of policy to recognizing them as active agents of change and influence.
While the W-Star project has officially concluded, our collaboration is only beginning. Thank you to all who partnered with us and actively engaged in our events to advance participation, solidarity, and inclusion across Europe.
Here is a video summary of the project and highlights from the event:
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W-STAR is a project running from September 2024 to September 2026. It is led by The Mediterannean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) in partnership with New Women Connectors, COSPE and moveGlobal.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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