In May 2026, the project “Sie weiß Bescheid – Guidance and Support for Women with Migration Experience – Step by Step into Employment and Participation” was launched. The project aims to sustainably strengthen refugee and migrant women in Saxony in their professional, social, and digital participation. The focus is on Chemnitz as well as the rural regions of Erzgebirgskreis, Mittelsachsen, and Zwickau.
Women with migration experience frequently face numerous challenges simultaneously upon their arrival in Germany: language barriers, a lack of social networks, uncertainty in dealing with authorities, or difficulties in having qualifications recognised make access to employment, education, and social participation more difficult. At the same time, low-threshold support services specifically tailored to the needs of women are often lacking, particularly in rural areas.
This is precisely where the “Sie weiß Bescheid” project comes in. Through outreach-based and low-threshold counselling and educational services, the project provides individualised support to women on their path to employment, qualification, and social participation. The aim is to open up new perspectives, provide orientation, and empower women to shape their own path with self-determination.
The project offers individual counselling and support on questions relating to career guidance, qualification, and residency status. It also assists participants in their dealings with employers and authorities. This is complemented by workshops and group activities focused on labour market orientation, exchange, and empowerment.
In addition to directly supporting women, the project also pursues the goal of raising awareness among networks and institutions about the specific needs of women with migration experience, as well as sustainably increasing their proximity to the labour market and employment participation.
Project coordinator Gina Linnert explains why a project like “Sie weiß Bescheid” is particularly important in Chemnitz and the surrounding regions:
“In the intended project region, there are very few services that specifically support women with refugee and migration experience in integrating into the labour market. On top of that, women find it difficult to access support services – especially in rural areas. For precisely this reason, we want to create direct on-the-ground support through outreach and low-threshold work, and to better reach women in Chemnitz and the surrounding districts.”
With regard to the project’s goals, she says:
“With this project, the SFR aims to sustainably strengthen refugee and migrant women in Saxony and improve their opportunities in the labour market. Through low-threshold counselling, support, and group activities, we are creating access to qualification, orientation, and social networking. At the same time, we want to encourage women to identify their own goals and shape their path with self-determination.”
The “Sie weiß Bescheid” project runs until the end of April 2028 and is funded through the ESF Plus guideline “Gender Equality in Working Life 2021–2027” and the Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB).