Vienna peer mentoringrefwomen

1. co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development in the framework of the Urban Innovative
Actions Initiative
November .2018, Wien, Mag. Moujan Wittmann-Roumi Rassouli

2. City of Vienna
MA17
integration +
diversity
Lead partner
Vienna Board
of Education-
European
Office
Vienna
Business
Agency
Vienna
Social Fund
Vienna
Employment
Promotion
Fund
• Peer
Mentoring
• Volunteers
Support
Training
programme for
refugee-
teachers
Support in
business issues
– Self
employment
Support in
Labour Market
Integration
• CORE Centre
• Housing First
• Strengthening of
Competences
• Health Promotion
• Int. Benchmarking

3. What is the main approach
of the project
“CORE puts people and their diverse
competencies at the centre, involves them as
experts in their own cause and thus contributes
to the integration process in Vienna. CORE
focuses on refugees as experts. The
participatory approach of CORE ensures that
refugees themselves can shape integration
programs and participate actively involved.”

4. “Peer-Mentoring for young mothers and
pregnant women” (2017-2019)
Challenges and obstacles:
Public debates and programs focus on negative perceptions
and “cultural” aspects of integration of refugees and refer to
women as vulnerable and supressed by men.
Culture as dominant frame makes it difficult to find out: what is
really hindering women to live autonomous lives and become
economically independent?
CORE – Center Of Refugee Empowerment
Puts competences in the focus + identifies the real challenge:
highly qualified refugee women are underrepresented in
effective education + labour market support measures!

5. “Peer-Mentoring- for young mothers and
pregnant women” (2017-2019)
Challenges and obstacles:
• Dominant focus on acquisition of the German
language combined with so called “Value Courses” 
under critique: Tests are not made by linguists but
bureaucrats and administrative staff
• Tightly regulated labour market with few or very
limited measures that allow educational mobility within
sectors
• Long and complicated paths before finding a job that
matches qualifications  too little attention on the
necessary institutional frameworks and conditions for
better integration pathways

6. Peer-Mentoring- for young mothers and
pregnant women (2017-2019)
Main objectives:
• To increase visibility (for general public and
institutions) of obstacles faced by and future
opportunities for highly qualified women
• To train and accompany them as peer mentors and
enable them to …
• … Offer valid and comprehensive information to
asylum seeking pregnant women, young mothers who
are hardly in the focus of integration measures

7. Peer-Mentoring for young mothers and
pregnant women (2017-2019)
Project Context in Vienna:
• 2/3 of asylum seekers live in private accommodation
• 1/3 of recipients of primary care in Vienna are women
• 40%-50% of the group are over the age of 40
• Study presented: 13% of all Vienna children and
adolescents are excluded from central areas of life
(due to lack of financial resources, knowledge about
health care issues) refugee parents (esp. mothers)
must be strongly supported!

8. Implementation: Project initiation
• Beginning of 2017: Catalogue of criteria for selection of peer
mentors sent to institutions, organisations, NGO´s and shelters
• Project Operation Manual elaborated and sent to potential
partners and institutions to join the project and serve as vital part
of the training program (public health departments, Vienna Child
and Youth Welfare Service, outpatient departments…)
• 15 refugee women who had gained professional qualification +
experience in the health care sector in their country of origin
were trained to become peer mentors for pregnant women and
mothers.
• By the end of 2018: 17 active peer mentors, from 8 different
nationalities/ 5 different languages spoken/ worked in 4 different
areas as health professionals in their countries of origin
(gynecology, neurology, general physicians, midwifery, nursery ..)
…)

9. Intermediary results:
Peer-Mentoring activities: after the initial training the
women regularly passed on relevant information in their
first language personally or by using messaging
services!
 they reached about 120 women within one year
(pregnant and young mothers) and discussed topics
such as benefits of the midwifery system in Austria,
disadvantage of c-sections ,emergency services, family
planning

10. Intermediary results:
Participation of Peer Mentors in discussions 
access to decision makers  e.g.
• Platforms and gatherings of decision makers within the city
government on how to reach refugees with necessary
information about health provision, to find other means of
communication
• Discussion about job opportunities  University of Vienna
• Participation in platforms with NGO’s: to draw attention to
the fact that integration through rights and perspectives must
be put in focus, and not the “headscarf”

11. Intermediary results:
Peer mentors highlighted also the requirement of diversity
+ making efficient us of resources
• Huge difficulties for highly skilled migrant women between the ages
35-45 years to get access to the job market especially in the health
care sector, contrary to the publicly most discussed issue: the
vulnerability of the refugees
• Funding should focus more on measures to ease labour market
entry than on prevention of violence

12. Projects present in the media
Information for the general public:

13. Intermediary results
Positive effects on state institutions like
Public Employment Service Austria (AMS)
• Raising awareness of structural barriers and issues related to labour
market entry especially for middle-aged women  validation of
diplomas takes a long time  alternative: opening up other health-
related departments (“Outpatients‘ Departments”)
• Pilot attempt to engage mentors as communicators/ mediators between
patients and doctors in the framework of a job training directly in
maternity units & emergency departments for pregnancy
• Better connection of offers (city and federal governments): Quick
transitions between German courses, work training and job
opportunities in the health sector like nursing assistance,
pharmaceutical assistance, assistance of care givers as job market
strategy for the health care sector

14. Intermediate results
Positive effects on participating women mentors:
• Orientation in the very complex health care system:
hospitals, midwifery system, care assistance services, …
• Knowledge of the structures of the authorities in different sectors:
e.g. midwives in hospitals vs family midwives
• Networking with institutions and relevant partners in the health care
sector:
• Enable understanding of the program planning and differences
of systems (between country of origin and Austria)
• Relevant information on paths to enter the labour market
• Within 1 year 3 women started an occupation and measures
suitable to their qualifications

15. Peer-Mentors 2017

16. More information:
Moujan Wittmann-Roumi Rassouli
https://www.wien.gv.at/kontakte/ma17/
Tel.: 0043 1 4000 81537
www.refugees.wien