Recent studies show that migrant women face a so-called “double disadvantage”, due to the intersection of being a woman and being a migrant. This study maps integration policies and measures in Member States, and the extent to which they specifically target migrant women. It provides examples of good practices and lessons learned on integration measures for migrant women at national, regional or local level, and an overview of targeted policies or measures that have been developed to counteract the negative consequences of COVID-19 for the integration of migrant women.

Many EU Member States have integration policies in place, however, only few specifically address women in their national integration policies. This could partly be addressed with a gender mainstreaming approach followed by most EU Member States or with a dual approach which combines gender mainstreaming with targeted policies for migrant women.

A Belgian standalone study reveals that, as is the case in most EU Member States, the integration of migrant women is currently not a national policy priority. The main challenges to integration include discrimination in accessing the labour market, a lack of recognition of qualifications, language barriers, lack of social networks, limited access to childcare and other family constraints. The Belgian context is also marked by a fragmented institutional landscape, with the responsibility of migrant integration being shared across Regions and Communities, and few synergies between the different levels of government.