By offering measures of social protection, the association makes available resources foreseen by the specific norms in force and offers immigrants in support structures suitable means of promoting and developing individual potential. The end objective is to give these people, in as short a time as possible, the possibility of becoming independent.
The person who enters a support structure is accepted with her original cultural specificity, with her beliefs and practices in respect of the laws in force, and is accompanied on her path to independence in full respect of her physical, moral, emotional and spiritual identity.

Generally speaking, the association is involved in helping all the immigrants it comes into contact with to see that their rights regarding medical care, family rights, etc are recognised both as foreign citizens living officially in the country, and as immigrants who are temporarily present.

Free Woman operates specifically in social protection for immigrants who wish to exit trafficking and sexual exploitation, and other forms of abusive coercion which are incompatible with universal standards of human rights.

From 1998 a small number of qualified bodies, registered in the “National Register of Associations and Bodies working for immigrants” propose programmes of social protection to be co-financed by the Department of Equal Opportunities. The financing of these programmes makes it possible to set up adequate systems of assistance and support to people requiring a “residence permit for humanitarian reasons”.
The Association Free Woman Onlus is one of the only two no profit organizations with legal headquarters in the Marche region that is currently registered in the above mentioned Register (Registration Decree n.C/44/2000/AN of 4 December 2000).

CURRENT PROGRAMMES

Opportunity
The association Free Woman is the local referent of the Opportunity project. This project, co-financed by the DPO and by numerous other local bodies, has obtained extremely positive results and been continuously active from 2001 to the present day.
In all its six editions, from 2001 to 2006, the project has been co-funded by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Department of Equal Opportunities, the Marche Region and the Province of Ancona and also by numerous local administrative groups including the municipalities of: Ancona, Camerano, Chiaravalle, Falconara M.ma, Jesi, Loreto, Montemarciano, Numana, Senigallia

The 2006-2007 edition of Opportunity has been approved by the DPO which guarantees resources up to May 2007.

Co-financers of Opportunity 06:
Department of Equal Opportunities
Marche Region
Province of Ancona
Municipality of Ancona
Municipality of Camerano
Municipality of Jesi
Municipality of Loreto
Social District XII (Falconara M.ma and other municipalities)
Municipality of Senigallia

Exit – Entry
Free Woman is an active partner for the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro/Urbino of the interregional project Marche-Abruzzo-Molise implementing art. 13 of the Law 228/2003, coordinated by the Associazione On the Road.

Diritto d’Accesso (Right to Enter)
Free Woman is a partner of the project Equal IT-G2-MAR-012 Diritto d’Accesso (2005-2007), coordinated by the Association On the Road, with partners including the Province of Ancona and Province of Ascoli Piceno, the University of Macerata, and other social bodies.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

La finestra di fronte (The Window in Front)
The project The Window in Front involved contacting and giving health information to women who were working as prostitutes in houses and clubs (2005-2006).
The CVS (Centre of Voluntary Service) Marche was responsible for the activities programmed and carried out within this project by Free Woman.

Other projects
The association has been partner in the project of HIV prevention called Choose not to risk (2001-2003), headed by the Local Health Unit 7 in Ancona, and partner of the project E.T.N.I.C.A. (IT-G-
MAR-002), financed by the EU initiative Equal (2002-2004), involving the Province of Ancona and numerous other important local partners.
Important bodies have covered the costs of activities carried out by the Association, such as outreach work activities for health risk reduction (Local Health Unit 7 of Ancona, P.A.U.AN. project - Project for the requalification of health care in the urban area of Ancona ex. Art. 71 L.448/98), outreach work activities for health risk reduction and assistance to women under social protection who have their own lodgings (CSV Marche, 2003 and 2004)