7: Stories of Empowerment and Change

This chapter relates to the third year of delivery of the women's project. The chapter focuses on stories of empowerment that emerged from the data, building on year one of the project where women were beginning to identify their aspirations, and year two where they were starting to make more tangible changes in their lives. The case studies presented in this chapter represent more sustainable stories of empowerment than in the previous years, demonstrating how empowerment is a long-term process for marginalised refugee and migrant women. In year one, women clearly expressed the desire and intention to make changes to their lives. In year two, some of these changes were becoming manifested. In year three, some women achieved significant changes in their lives, supported over time by the women's project. Some became volunteers or even staff for the charity and beyond. Some were engaging in college or university study. To achieve these and other changes to their lives, the women overcame barriers such as isolation, domestic violence, as well as a lack of English language and other skills and knowledge needed to be fully integrated.