Gesundheitsförderung mit geflüchteten Frauen: Stärken und Herausforderungen eines Peer-Ansatzes

Refugee women confront unique health challenges, while concurrently possessing valuable resources for health promotion. Peer approaches have proven successful in various health promotion domains; nevertheless, questions persist regarding their applicability and constraints within the refugee context.

The EMPOW project employed a participatory methodology to develop and investigate health promotion strategies for and with refugees, aiming to generate theoretical insights into vulnerabilities and empowerment from the perspective of refugee groups—in this case newly arrived female refugees from Middle Eastern countries.

At the study site in Hannover, a health promotion initiative was designed collaboratively with women who sought refuge in Germany from Farsi and Arabic-speaking countries. Implementation of the peer-based health promotion intervention was facilitated through social media. The participatory processes were analyzed based on project reports, minutes, field notes, and focus group evaluations using participatory and qualitative methods.

The peer approach showed a strong potential for promoting the health of refugee women through personalized engagement and networking via social media. It facilitated communication, built trust, strengthened self-help capabilities, and improved access to social resources, including social and healthcare services. This approach was especially advantageous in the context of gender-based violence. Nevertheless, the vulnerability of the peer facilitators, who themselves grappled with challenging life circumstances as refugee women, posed a noteworthy challenge and limitation.

Peer approaches to health promotion are recommended for refugee women, provided certain prerequisites and support structures are in place.