The project started with the analysis its institutional context. This included the analysis of policy documents addressing gender, migration and illiteracy in Europe, and the analysis of key migrant integration indicators, considering gender and illiteracy. The analysis was supported by policy documents provided by European and national institutions and comparative statistical data provided by Eurostat.
The results of the institutional analysis showed a still lacking policy frame able to integrate the intersections of gender, migration and illiteracy, and to provide adequate policy responses to the integration of low literate migrant women. Public policies in the areas of gender equality, migrants’ integration and adults’ education tend to be designed independently and most of the proposed actions do not target this populational group. Some progress has been made in European policy to develop an intersectional approach in public policy responses. This is visible in the current Gender Equality Strategy, although in a mainly discursive level. The migrants’ integration and adults’ education policy instruments analysed largely treat target groups as homogenous. The analysis of the extant indicators confirmed the initial hypothesis of a slight increase in the proportion of migrants in Europe without formal schooling in the last decade, with notable gender differences. However, the examination of the data highlighted sampling weaknesses that prevent robust conclusions, thus reinforcing the need for more comparative disaggregated data.
The second phase of the research consisted of two organisational case studies in local institutions offering literacy courses for beneficiaries from different countries of origin. The case studies were done in Spain and in France. The studies included the analysis of the general functioning of their literacy programmes, their methodologies and formal procedures, as well as the available resources and main challenges encountered in developing such actions. The research methodology consisted of documental analysis of internal documents; the systematic observation of practice (participant observation); and semi-structured interviews with fieldwork professionals.
The results of the organizational analysis illustrated the impact of the national and regional contexts in the shaping of local practices. The French organization presented a higher level of institutionalization of practices, largely due to its long work experience with adults’ absolute illiteracy and variety of funding resources, which facilitates articulation with other institutions of formal education and with the labour market. In the Spanish case, the institutionalization was lower, and the connection with other educational entities and with the labour market was scarce. However, in turn, the lower institutionalization enables a more individualized monitoring of the learning processes. In any case, the analysis confirmed the wide diversity of configurations of literacy programmes in both countries, and the ways in which they incorporate both national policies and migrants’ individual needs in their work.
The final stage of the research consisted in the analysis of biographies of women with low literacy. Participants were migrant women without or with low levels of formal education, from different countries, with a wide range of ages.
The results of the individual analysis showed little variation in the socio-economic background of these women and in the reasons that prevented them from accessing formal education, but a great variety of life trajectories, motivations to learn, and learning experiences.
