Epress.am News from Armenia
In June this year with the help of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, six representatives of three women’s resource centres from the Syunik region of Armenia took part in a study tour to Sweden, to share experiences and learn from women’s networks in Sweden, reads a news release on the official OSCE website.
The week-long visit included working discussions with a number of Swedish women’s resource centres, their beneficiaries as well as with experts on gender equality. The group also had a chance to visit the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and meet with women MPs in Stockholm.
They discussed how women’s resource centres can mobilize women for entrepreneurship, how to start up and operate a centre, and how to involve women in decision-making.
The visit was also useful in terms of getting acquainted with the Swedish bed and breakfast model, as the women’s resource centres in Syunik are involved in the development of B&Bs in the region.
Participants outlined several areas of co-operation with their Swedish counterparts, as well as, a number of potential projects that could complement the work of their centres. These included supporting school age children in business programmes during their summer holidays, an idea of working in small groups, arranging exhibitions of Armenian women’s handicrafts in Sweden, choosing a successful Armenian business woman to act as an Ambassador speaking about women achievements in the business.
The three women’s resource centres in Meghri, Kapan and Goris were established with OSCE support in 2008-2009 to encourage the involvement of women in the economic, public and political life of the region. They offer a meeting space for local women and provide resources to help women start businesses.
Photo by Nazely Aleksanyan (OSCE).