The Women of Minorities project came to life in 2022. Starting with a small survey among FUEN member organisations, the project aimed to assess the situation of women in minority institutions across Europe. Not only did the direct addressees find the project interesting, but the wider public also showed interest.
The results revealed that women are well represented in the organisations, particularly in the operational area. However, men dominate in leadership positions like presidencies or boards. Two-thirds of participating organisations were aware of gender equality principles and standards, but very few had official documents or guidelines on gender equality in their organisations. Almost no one had attended training on this topic. Impediments to better gender equity at the institutional level included a lack of promotion, awareness, or stereotypes within the organisations.
Representatives of FUEN member organisations who participated in the study indicated that training, support from experts, and raising awareness on the topic are needed to build their capacities to advance women's rights within their organisations and of women of their communities.
In 2023, FUEN held an online meeting and a thematic event in Vienna on the topic. Both events attracted several member organisations interested in continuing to work on the subject. Therefore, in 2024, the Women of Minorities initiative was included in the FUEN’s project portfolio.