Peer support practices already exist in many communities. Many women with a migrant background are key reference points within their communities: they support other women in interacting with services, share information, and accompany them in everyday decisions.
The SIS-Hubs pathway was created to recognise and strengthen this role, by creating a group of women who can become peer community facilitators and work towards women’s autonomy, so that all women can access resources and services, receiving clear responses and useful information.
SIS-Hubs aims to strengthen the autonomy of women with a migrant background and improve their access to local services, through a transnational collaboration that, in the city of Palermo, involves CESIE ETS and Centro PENC ETS.
Why join the group?
- you will strengthen skills that you already use in your daily life
- you will receive a certificate as a peer facilitator
- you will support access to services for yourself and for other women
- you will contribute to building connections between communities and local services
We will talk about:
- work: we will learn about the rights of women with a migrant background in Italy and explore services that can support greater stability and job security
- services and health: we will identify together the services, hospitals, and support centres in Palermo that can be accessed when taking care of our own health and that of people around us
- education and training: we will explore courses and educational pathways that can support personal and professional development
- personal life: we will share fears, concerns, uncertainties, as well as ideas and possible solutions
- safety and independence: we will reflect on how to become more confident, independent, and autonomous as women
The programme is open to a maximum of 10 women and requires an overall commitment from the end of May 2026 to July 2027, structured as follows:
| Period of activity | When | What |
| Initial training | End of May – End of June 2026 | Participation in weekly meetings (approx. 4 hours each) with professionals to learn about local services and develop the role of peer facilitator. |
| Visits to local services in Palermo | July 2026 | Participation in 4 meetings within local services, meeting professionals directly and learning how services work and how to access them. |
| Workshops and group meetings | September 2026 | Participation in group discussions to deepen key topics and contribute to the design of future activities, with a focus on women’s independence and access to services. |
| Participation as peer facilitator | October 2026 – July 2027 | Involvement in the team as a peer facilitator, with the aim of: – supporting other women in contacting services and/or professionals – providing linguistic and cultural mediation in written and oral communication – contributing to building a strong network of women able to inform, orient, and facilitate participation of migrant communities in Palermo |
At the end of the training and service visits, participants who have attended at least 75% of the activities will receive a certificate of participation, recognising the competences acquired as peer facilitators.
This certificate will allow participants to join the team as peer facilitators through a paid assignment, with a total compensation of €2,000 gross.
For two of the 10 selected women, there will also be the opportunity to participate in an International Conference in Athens (planned for June or July 2027), with full coverage of travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs.
Selection of participants
The selection process will consider both formal eligibility criteria and personal motivation and attitudes.
- adult women (18+)
- residence in Sicily (preferably Palermo and surrounding metropolitan area)
- minimum stay in Italy of two years
- good knowledge of the Italian language
Desirable criteria
- availability to participate consistently throughout the programme
- interest in supporting and listening to other women
- listening skills and reliability
- openness to engaging with people from different backgrounds
- motivation to share spaces and experiences
- sensitivity to issues such as safety, independence, and women’s autonomy
Selection process
- Submission of CV: by 7 May
- Pre-selection of candidates: by 8 May
- In-person interviews: between 14 and 15 May (to be confirmed)
- Start of the training programme: 25 May
To apply, fill in the form and upload your CV and a motivation letter in Italian.
For further information, contact: tessereponti@cesie.org.
About the project
SIS-Hubs – Sorority, Integration and Support for women and girls through community-based Programmes is a project funded by funded by AMIF programme of the European Union (AMIF-2024-TF2-AG-THB, DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR MIGRATION AND HOME AFFAIRS).
Partners
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- CENTRO PENC. ANTROPOLOGIA E PSICOLOGIA GEOCLINICA ETS (Italy)
- ZRS KOPER ZNANSTVENO-RAZISKOVALNO SREDISCE KOPER (Slovenia)
- KMOP KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU (Greece)
- AAF ANIMUS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION (Bulgaria)
- SOLWODI DEUTSCHLAND EV (Germany)
For further information
Read more about SIS-Hubs, visit socialhut.eu and follow us on Instagram.
Contact Georgia Chondrou: georgia.chondrou@cesie.org.
SIS-Hubs is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Project Number: 101198346.
