The first webinar of this year's edition of the Canada-EU Migration Platform on the Integration of Migrant Women focused on social integration.

The first in the series of online events was held on 6 November 2020. It brought together 90 participants from across the EU and Canada who discussed the social integration of migrant women. The participants represented governments, EU institutions, migrant women, civil society organisations, and academia.

In the first part of the event, the panelists were guided by the moderator Meghan Benton, Director of Research of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), to reflect on the barriers to social integration faced by migrant women on both sides of the Atlantic. They discussed the meaning of social integration and its multifaceted reality. They also considered the adverse impact of slower social integration on the overall outcomes for migrant women.

The recording of the panel is available below:

During the seven breakout sessions the participants discussed in more depth the opportunities presented by language training as the key instrument for the social integration of migrant women; the importance of creating community connections to address the social isolation of migrant women; advance gender equality; address access to services in the context of COVID-19; and the importance of increasing the civic and political participation of migrant women. Most importantly, participants recognised the need to emphasise intersectionality in policy as the key element to address the barriers migrant women face. The discussions provided an opportunity to identify issues, explore policies and practical approaches to the integration of migrant women.