Federica Toscano (35) wants to have an impact on society. As Head of Advocacy and Migration at Missing Children Europe she’s fighting every day, with limited resources, for a brighter world for children. ‘I have a daughter myself and obviously one of the goals is to make sure she grows up as a conscious human being that raises her voice and believes in her fights.’
Interested in International and European Law, just like Federica? Make sure to check our info page! Do you have questions for Federica after reading the interview? Or are you inspired by her? Contact her via LinkedIn.
Federica, how did you end up in the Institute of European Studies?
'I went to the European Study Fair and visited the Institute of European Studies stand. I really liked the presentations of the courses and that the school was relatively small. Professors were working in the field, in positions that I aspired as well. It wouldn't be just studying in books, but more practical cases. I liked that the emphasis was on discussing what was going on at European level and in the United Nations.'
Are you happy with your choice, looking back?
'Yes, for many reasons! It was so helpful to get insights from people in the field. Especially in my first years I thought a lot about what was discussed with the professors and with EU officials. That was really helpful. I also met these people during my career. It was a fantastic first network of high-level people that would be helpful in the future, and still are.'
'I also remained really close with the fellow students. They are still my best friends, we are seeing each other regularly. This says a lot about finding like minded people who are more or less interested in the same things and have the same approach; we were maybe very lucky because of the way the course was structured but perhaps it was just meant to be.'
Is there a certain book or professor that you’ll always remember?
'We had a professor who was one of the first EU officials ever. His name was Professor Mathijsen. We had the chance to hear from him and Professor De Vuyst so many interesting stories and the history behind the main principles on which the EU is based. It added an element of reality. It wasn’t only studying. We had studies on EU law but the ‘why’s’ were way more interesting to unravel. It was amazing.'
Tips & Tricks
Do you have tips and tricks for people that start studying?
'Belonging to a student organisation is really important because from the beginning it adds the practical side to what you are studying. Try to become involved in interesting associations, which ones can give you material, insights, the network,.. But also the fun! It can help to shape your professional path, because it’s difficult at the age of 18. I remember during my Erasmus that I would never work in human rights, and look where I ended up! Some careers are not known or even seen as irrelevant nor considered, but then during your association work they may be the best fit for you.'
Any tips for students that are about to join the job market?
'Don’t be scared to reach out to professors because they will give you an extra push. They can open the doors to your future job. You may feel shy but I learnt that professors especially love to help their students! That’s a major difference with my studies in Italy. I saw that professors cared for their students and really wanted to help out. Don’t be afraid! Try to create that relationship with professors.'
Who helped you to land your first job?
'My first job was in a youth organisation. It helped a lot to get networking and presentation skills that helped me later on to get a new job.'
'I did reach out to my professors and they helped me to find an internship at the European Commission. My CV showed that I hadn’t only been reading books: studying abroad, working in associations or even in your own town all showed that I was versatile and motivated to do the job.'
Which skills from your studies have you been able to apply in your career?
'The analytical skills and working on methodologies. Knowledge of principles is very important because it’s something that is expected from you but that not everybody knows. Sometimes I am more effective than others because I know how the system works, what the principles are, how we got to something. Your work is much more effective if you know what’s behind the everyday processes.'
Which essential skills did you develop throughout your career?
'I am better at writing because I don’t think we wrote enough during my studies. When you work, you write all the time. I learnt to be more efficient as well. When you study you have plenty of time, while suddenly when you start working you learn how to plan much better.'
What’s your current job position at Missing Children Europe about?
'I am the Head of Advocacy and Migration at Missing Children Europe. I am working on projects in relation to children in migration and on advocacy in relation to child rights in general.'
'It’s challenging because I am working on so many issues, being only one. We have a small team but we don’t have that much funding, as we are an NGO. If you are ambitious and if you want change you tend to take on all the work that you think can make an impact and then it’s very complicated to follow everything, to do the influencing that is necessary, to work on all legislative files. We are talking about a very broad problem that entails a lot of subjects.'
'It's also tough work: we are talking about things that don’t work in Europe, in the end the rights of children are not respected. Children are suffering because they end up being homeless, exploited online, abducted and end up in terrible camps. It’s an emotionally difficult topic to handle. Therefore you want to work well to be able to see more children in a safe environment.'
'It’s sometimes highly politicised. The challenge is to make sure that politics don’t get in the way of rights. It’s very polarising, but we are talking about children who have specific rights. They are the generations of the future. It's very difficult to make people understand that political discussion on migration in the end has such a terrible impact on all human beings and especially children.'
'Influencing is difficult because it’s a world that is used to compromises: creating solid allies is a challenge but you can make a difference!'
What has been your biggest professional challenge so far?
'To make people understand that the fact that people in migration went missing is not a migration problem but a child protection problem. They are seen as the people that we don’t want. And what I try is changing the way we think about all these labels that we are using; such as ‘unaccompanied children’, ‘minors’, ‘Syrian children’, ‘illegal children’, … doesn’t extract the child part from the person. Children need protection. Countries have the obligation to protect these children according to international and European law. But accountability is difficult to keep when we are talking about migrants and children from other countries.'
What are your main tasks on a daily basis?
'I am managing some projects: a sort of Google Maps for children on the move in Europe that helps them to understand where to find help and what their rights are. I am also managing cross-border cooperation projects.'
'In my daily work it’s very common that I need to understand what the agenda is in European Parliament committees, what happens at the Commission, that I need to reach out to established connections to influence the work that they’re doing. Sometimes also in writing.'
'Apart from project management and advocacy a part of my work is also producing messages: positions that we use in advocacy and collaboration with other associations and managing the team.'
What’s been your biggest accomplishment so far?
'Missing children in migration was highly overlooked, and I think we put this on the political agenda of everyone working at European and international levels. These children shouldn’t be seen as ‘a problem less’ because they left! In all policies at European level we now made sure it’s high on the agenda.'
“I want to continue to support the most vulnerable in society.”
What are your future ambitions?
'I am not the kind of person that has a specific career path in mind and this is maybe something university should help in. I think it would be useful if universities could help to lay out the steps for people to take. I definitely want to continue to make an impact to support the most vulnerable in society. This is most important to me.'
The World Needs You.
How are you making this place a better place?
'It’s easy. I work on child rights. I try my best to make decision makers aware of the impact of their decisions. In the end they can make the real difference. They can make sure that rights are respected everywhere. The local level is great, but limited. A holistic approach is highly needed.'
How do you contribute to a better world on a personal level?
'I try to convince all my friends of the things I believe in and try to make sure that the people around me are aware of the issues that are important to me: from climate change to human rights.'
'I also have a little child and obviously one of the goals is to make sure she grows up as a conscious human being that raises her voice and believes in her fights.'
'I cannot leave the problems that I work on at the office. You’re taking it with you in life.'
Interested in International and European Law, just like Federica? Make sure to check our info page! Do you have questions for Federica after reading the interview? Or are you inspired by her? Contact her via LinkedIn.