Join us for an afternoon of talks and peer discussion aimed at supporting migrant support practitioners to navigate gender and sexuality.

Background

A few years ago, we brought together practitioners working in frontline migrant support services for a series of workshops exploring how gender and sexuality are negotiated in the workplace. The project resulted in a short booklet documenting some of the challenges practitioners identified, alongside activities to help organisations discuss these issues and consider how they might respond.

The booklet is available to download for free from the Migrants’ Rights Network website: [Download here (https://migrantsrights.org.uk/resources/sexuality-gender-in-support-services/#:~:text=The%20first%20workshop%20was%20held,refugees%20and%20people%20seeking%20asylum.)]

We’re now revisiting the project to ask what has changed, what challenges practitioners are facing today, and what further support might be useful.

What will we explore?

We’ll begin with practitioner talks drawing on different experiences of gender and sexuality in frontline migrant support services.

We’ll then open up the conversation to participants, creating space to share experiences, discuss challenges and think together about what might help.

Some of the questions we’d like to explore include:

What challenges are practitioners facing now, two years on from our last gathering?

How are hotel closures and changes to asylum accommodation affecting the relational work of frontline services?

How is the current political climate, including the rise of the far right, shaping how gender and sexuality are understood and addressed in service provision? What are the implications of narratives about protecting women and girls, alongside the continued demonisation of single young men seeking asylum?

Would a peer support network and collaboratively developed resources still be useful? If so, what might they look like, and who should be involved?

These are starting points for discussion, not a fixed agenda. We want to make space for the issues that matter most to those attending.

Who is this event for?

This gathering is primarily for people working in frontline migrant support services, or in other roles supporting people affected by migration and the asylum system.

Whether you have been working on these questions for years or are only just beginning to think about them, we welcome your experiences, questions and ideas.

Longer term goals?

We hope this gathering will be the starting point for a group of practitioners interested in continuing to explore these challenges and developing peer-led resources over the following nine months.

We recognise that organisations and individuals are working under considerable pressure, so participation can be shaped around what you have the capacity to offer.

Perhaps you want to share your experiences and help identify the challenges. Perhaps you have ideas about how things could be done differently, but not the time to develop resources. Or perhaps you’d like to try out ideas and activities developed by others and share what you learn.

All of these contributions would be valuable. There is no expectation to commit to ongoing involvement, and you are very welcome to come along simply to take part in the discussion.

The aim is to create a space where practitioners can learn from one another, work through difficult questions together and explore what meaningful, practical support might look like.

Not based in Coventry?

We are hosting a similar event in London on November 20th. Click 'here (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/navigating-gender-and-sexuality-in-frontline-migrant-support-organisations-tickets-2003817119947?aff=oddtdtcreator)' for the eventbrite link for that gathering.

Description supplied by the event organiser.