MedLit – Media literacy for refugee, asylum seeking and migrant women

Enhancing the media literacy competences of (low-skilled/low-qualified) refugee, asylum seeking and migrant women through innovative learning tools.

Grant Agreement Number: 2017-1-UK01-8KA204-036683

Funded by: Erasmus+ Duration: 11/2017-10/2019

Challenge

There is relatively little data, research or studies in Europe on migrants’ digital literacy & use and on the degree of e-inclusion. It is common ground that migration has a disproportionately harsher impact on women than men. Migrant & refugee women are at risk of exploitation, trafficking, racism, social exclusion and violation of their rights to employment and justice. They struggle to integrate due to gender-blind policies and practices that do not adequately reflect their needs and experiences.

Given the above, it is very important to provide refugee/asylum seeking & migrant women, who face a greater risk of social exclusion (double discrimination), with the competences — knowledge, skills and attitudes — and values needed to access, interpret, use and/or produce information and other media content, in the context of the internet and social media, and in a safe and responsible manner, thus facilitating their integration in EU societies.

Innovation

Encouraging low-skilled/low-qualified refugee, asylum seeking & migrant women to develop and upgrade their media & digital literacy skills, MedLIT aims at better integrating them in the host societies.

Action

A methodological approach & framework designed so as to enable refugee, asylum seeking and migrant women to develop the technical, cognitive, social, civic and creative capacities that will allow them to access, understand and interact with both traditional and new forms of media, catering specifically for their needs and experiences, such as gaining language skills, seeking employment, social networking skills and ability to contribute to social participation activities etc.

Read the document here.

An e-learning platform developed to enhance the media and digital competences of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers women i.e. They will be able to understand media, search for information and be critical about what is retrieved, create media (messages) and communicate with others using a variety of digital (and non-digital) tools and applications (mobile, internet, television, radio, newspapers).

Moreover, the learners will build their ‘social and civic competences’, which have a clear link to critical thinking, as well as their ‘cultural awareness and expression’, which are underpinned by the ability to value diversity and respect the views and values of others.

MedLit e-learning platform

The aim of the campaigns is to motivate other refugee, asylum seeking and/or migrant women to start developing and/or upgrading their media and digital literacy skills (using the online training tool and/or other means), by showing them the benefits and effects that this can have in addressing some of their most important needs and difficulties, such as learning the host country language, seeking employment, accessing information about available education, health or other services and about political and administrative information on the host country, as well as support systems and organisations available, social networking etc.

Read the document here.

European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Project Partners

**KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre**

**University of Gloucestershire (UK – Project Coordinator)**

CESIE (Italy)

Verein Multikulturell (Austria)