Project WISER
Women Initiative for Self-Employment Reorientation

   Aim of the project is to enhance the reorientation of self-employees especially women at local communities by creating conditions to improve micro-business initiative, expecting positive reflects through the employability of groups at exclusion risk.

PROJECT IDEA

   Aim of this partnership is to promote women’s initiatives towards self-employment or re-orientation of their businesses in the rural or disadvantaged territories. The European dimension of the partnership – from Portugal to Latvia, from Cyprus to the Netherlands – will provide opportunities to exchange training and support approaches from a wide variety of countries, to share good practices and to learn from each other thus strengthening women to be opened to business challenges.

Within the project the following outcomes will be delivered:
1) an overview of training approaches, courses and materials, experiences and recommendations from all involved partner countries concerning the best way to promote and support entrepreneurship among women;
2) portfolios/portraits/success stories of 50 women who started up (5 per country) telling the story (text and video spools or other visual materials), on the start process, the obstacles, the way they were supported, tips for other women etcetera. The 50 success stories will be presented at the project’s website;
3) 10 basic rules for successful self-employed and/or business woman as a little handbook with motivation and strengthening words, printed as a flyer or other hand-out;
4) four study visits to partner countries where participants will discuss national and local policies on promoting entrepreneurship, will learn about the training and support practice and meet women entrepreneurs. Participants will bring home new ideas, innovative policies and practices, country guidelines and know-how methods regarding entrepreneurship promotion;
5) a website for internal communication, exchange and working platform for partners and for external use as well to present information and products to a wider audience across Europe.

Since it all began...

PARTICIPANTS:

• SIA Firma ED, Latvia
• Roemeling Projectleiding, Netherlands
• Startwijzer BV, Netherlands  
• G.O.E.K. Women’s Organisation of European Party, Cyprus
• Syntra West vzw, Belgium
• Foundation ERGO SUM, Poland
• Frit Oplysningsforbund i Århus, Denmark
• PÉ DE MEIA- PARTILHA E EMPODERAMENTO DE MULHERES EMPREENDEDORAS, IMIGRANTES ASSOCIADAS, CRL, Portugal
• Mersin İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü, Turkey

Project duration: 08.2009. – 07.2011.