Conclusion and Practical Recommendations

Start: Reflect again on the following 3 questions:

• What does inclusion mean to you? And which role can sport play in inclusion?
• What do you understand by the term “women of migrant background”?
• What do you think are the biggest barriers, in your country, for participation of women of migrant background in sport?

Task: Compare with your answers at the start of this module.

Debrief: Discuss whether your answers might be different and whether your insights have changed after completing this module.

1. Recognize and analyse how different barriers to participation overlap — always apply an intersectional perspective.
2. Examine how sport can act as a social platform — observe whether interactions promote equality and respect or reproduce hierarchies and exclusion.
3. Promote inclusion by avoiding top-down approaches — involve women of migrant background in planning, organizing, and decision-making in sport activities.
4. Create and sustain a welcoming, respectful, and open environment that helps bridge social or cultural gaps.
5. Reflect critically on what makes integration a genuine two-way process, where both migrant and majority participants learn and adapt.
6. Explore opportunities to connect migrant and majority women in sport, and assess what helps or limits deeper social connections.
7. Identify and address exclusive factors such as language barriers or financial constraints, understanding how these can lead to feelings of non-belonging, even within sport groups.
8. Acknowledge that participation does not always equal inclusion — investigate cases where women take part despite feeling excluded.
9. Advocate for stable resources and long-term cooperation between different administrative levels to ensure continuity and impact in inclusive sport initiatives.

“When I first arrived in Antwerp from Eritrea, I loved dancing, but I never felt like I could join any local classes. The schedules didn’t fit my family life, and I often didn’t understand the instructions. When a community dance program invited me to help shape the classes. I started teaching some Eritrean dances, translating for other women from my community, and suggesting class times that worked for mothers like me. Seeing other women of migrant background smile, laugh, and move with confidence made me feel like I finally had a place here.” — Hana, sport person from Eritrea

1. Understand integration holistically
   Value all outcomes of integration equally — recognise that health, well-being, social ties, and language learning are interconnected and should not be ranked hierarchically.
2. Recognise intersectional needs and power relations
   Consider diversity in every activity — take into account women’s different backgrounds, ages, religions, and life situations, and design both women-only and mixed groups where needed.
3. Create safe physical and mental spaces
   Ensure emotional and physical safety — foster a welcoming atmosphere through empathy, collaboration, and by selecting and training instructors carefully.
4. Organise grass-root activities with low threshold and flexibility
   Lower barriers to participation — offer free, accessible, and adaptable sport sessions that accommodate limited time, confidence, or financial means.
5. Collaborate with local communities
   Engage the whole community — work with majority and minority women to co-create inclusive spaces and shared activities that strengthen mutual understanding.
6. Involve women of migrant background as trainers and co-creators
   Empower participants as leaders — encourage women of migrant background to take roles as trainers, coordinators, or organisers to build ownership and representation.
7. Promote activities in appealing ways
   Highlight personal motivations — promote activities by focusing on enjoyment, well-being, and social connection, and use peer networks to spread information.
8. Tackle implicit ways of exclusion and discrimination
   Notice and challenge subtle exclusion — reflect on group dynamics and act when behaviours or routines make others feel unwelcome.
9. Recognise bridge persons in sports clubs
   Identify and support bridge persons — collaborate with trusted individuals who can motivate new participants and ease their entry into activities.
10. Enhance collaboration in local, regional and national levels
    Organizations must secure long-term funding and embed inclusion in their core work. Engaging women of migrant background should be a shared responsibility across NGOs and all levels of government, supported by strong collaboration between these actors.

• Inclusion is a two-way process — your role is to support your mentee and encourage the wider community/club to adapt.
• Advocate for practical changes in your club or organisation (translation, flexible timing, safe spaces).
• Celebrate small wins: regular attendance, trying a new activity, or feeling more confident are all meaningful outcomes.

Use the prompts below to consolidate your learning. (Your answers are saved locally on this device.)

1) Define intersectionality in one sentence.

2) Name two universal and two specific barriers women of migrant background face.

3) What’s the difference between inclusion in and inclusion through sport?