Women: Innovative, Successful, Empowered Erasmus Project

Project Title

Women: Innovative, Successful, Empowered

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

#WISE has two objectives. The 1st objective is to support crafts&arts women in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences in digital literacy, innovation and technological manufacturing solutions for better realization of their creative ideas and production, and the 2nd objective is to extend the supply of high-quality learning and networking opportunities for women in crafts&arts and contemporary creative industries market trends.

Innovation is the process of turning a new concept into commercial success or widespread use. There is no creativity without innovative thinking. Due to COVID-19, we begun to face problems that are too difficult to solve in traditional ways. Sustainable energy, recycling, and the very idea of making more, but from as few raw materials as possible, are commonplace these days. Facing problems at this level requires a number of creative solutions.

#WISE focuses on C&A women of different ages, mainly living in regions of all partnering countries. Women of older age usually lack innovative and technological approach, are not fluent in business lingua franca, i. e. English. It prevents them from using modern marketing technologies that open global possibilities (such as trading on Etsy, e-shops), networking (e. g. joining international artisanship networks, getting referrals, participation in group exhibitions), reduces their income and quite often leads to poverty. Women of younger age are more familiar with IT solutions, foreign languages and entrepreneurship, but lack skills in craftsmanship as well as deeper philosophical approach. The project will embrace abilities of both age categories, with project intellectual output being piloted with 50 women in all 5 countries.

A practical training course in modern entrepreneurship, creative technologies & innovations will help participants to develop their basic skills and key competences needed in the modern creative industries. A high-quality learning in digital literacy, e-commerce, innovative manufacturing technologies (3D printing, laser-cutting, recycling, zero waste, etc.), international communication, marketing, contemporary art market trends, sustainability, etc. will serve as an opportunity to start their own commercial activity based on C&A skills they have already had.

Encouragement of adult learners to listen to and explore their internal needs and desires will be translated into viable innovations with the help of couching techniques. Supporting C&A women with basic entrepreneurial and artisanship skills development will boost their self-esteem and contribute to their better social inclusion as well as financial independence.

Last but not the least, flexibility and creativity are vital traits everyone needs in a rapidly changing labor market. Creativity helps to adapt to new working conditions and employers’ expectations. Quite apart from individual commercial activity, participating women will develop digital & technological skills which strengthen their position in a labor market and therefore reduce their chances for the long-term unemployment and poverty.

Activities will be easily accessible and encouraging to come. Non-formal education groups and meetings on social networks will be organized. Practical training will make women familiar with modern artistic techniques, social entrepreneurship, networking. For support and motivation, innovative approaches towards commercial activities, based rather of failure stories than on success ones, will be used.

A one-week-long exhibition #Wise Women Week (#WWW) supposed to be a grand finale of the project. Showing the C&A innovations developed up, it will demonstrate the women inclusion and empowerment through creativity and the arts. The grand finale will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania. It will be open to public members.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 152900 Eur

Project Coordinator

Versli mama & Country: LT

Project Partners

• Skref fyrir Skref ehf / Step by step
• ANAPTYXIAKI KARDITSAS ANAPTYXIAKI ANONIMI ETAIRIA O.T.A
• DAILININKU SAJUNGOS GALERIJA
• We Are Entrepreneurs
• ETN School s.r.l.