The training course “Youth work for Women Empowerment” was held in Malmo, Sweden from 15-23 January 2022 with participation of youth workers and youth leaders from Sweden, Macedonia, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Bulgaria.
It all started when I decided to be part of this project, I was so excited because it was my first time to be able to travel to Sweden. Since I had the trip Skopje-Copenhagen first I traveled to the country of Denmark and enjoyed the beauty of the city of Copenhagen.
The first day as soon as all groups arrived in Malmo we were accommodated, we rested and the next day we started the first day of the training course. During the first day of the training, we got to know each other, we set the expectations and contributions and created a safe space for active participation and sharing personal experiences and in the evening we had a “Welcome evening” which made us get to know each other even better.
That prepared us for the rest of the days in which we had a presentation about the situation in our country about general policy or legal framework promoting gender equality and equity, percentage of women in decision-making positions, what are the main problems or challenges that women face in our countries. Also, we have learned about the situation in the other countries and we talked about the differences. Deeper into this topic, we talked about stereotypes and confidence gap in society. We had guests who shared their experiences, challenges, and obstacles in life.
Through various non-formal methods like simulation and theatre, we experienced the obstacles that the women are facing how they are discriminated in the workplace or even have lower wages than men just because they are of the opposite sex.
As part of the training course, we had 2 intercultural nights in which I presented our food and some facts about North Macedonia and learned more about the other participant countries and tasted their food. We also had a self-organised evening and movie night. In our free time, we also had a chance to explore the beautiful city of Malmo, make new friendships and unforgettable memories.
Overall, attending this training course is a precious experience not just for professional, but also for personal growth.
– Summary written by Azra Abazi
