Socioeconomic and Cultural Integration Projects

Creative Women!

Hand in Hand for Women is a non-profit association that works for women's rights, equality, and integration of newly arrived women in Sweden. The association organizes various projects for women about the integration and development of newly arrived women in Swedish society. It is an important point for the women that newly arrived women should be able to support themselves in Sweden. Almost every third of women born outside Europe is outside the labor force, and the employment gap between women and men who immigrated to Sweden is increasing. We want immigrant women to receive at least as much support as immigrant men to get more space in the labor market in Sweden and we must use our skills and power together to get them. Now Hand in Hand for Women has started a project called Creative Women focusing on the socio-economic and cultural integration of foreign-born and newly arrived women. Where, by collaborating with Kulturens Bildningsvekshamt, we contribute to creating democratic conditions for newly arrived women. Hand in Hand for Women encourages newly arrived women to dare to speak Swedish, make new friends, and earn a living by using their knowledge and experience and to become active in Sweden's labor market.
A warm welcome to all creative foreign-born and newly arrived women who want to integrate more into Swedish society and join us to gain their financial position by using their craft knowledge and experience to enter the job market in Sweden.

Creative Women project applies to you if you are a newly arrived woman and want to learn a little more Swedish and you could not integrate into society but you have skills and experience in various crafts and want to use them to enter society.

• The project aims to reach its goal by holding craft courses, workshops, craft markets, and Christmas markets. Kreativa Kvinnor's other important step is to establish a Kreativa Kvinnor art house and provide employment and job opportunities to foreign-born and newly arrived women in the project.

• Hand in Hand for Women has created various crafts groups of jewelry, Knitting, felting, marbling, home decoration, filing and conservation, eco-friendly, cafe & food, and instruments via WhatsApp.

• The creative women have used WhatsApp to write and discuss with each other and they sometimes meet physically to discuss all the details of their craft.

• The creative women challenge themselves by exhibiting and selling their handicraft products at the Handicraft Festival at the Stockholm Fair in Älvsjö every year. Although these women have different cultural backgrounds and skills, they have the main characteristic: they want to be active in social society in Sweden and Creative Women believes in changing the future with the power of women.

• In this Creative Women project, you may also be able to realize your dream goals, learn more about crafts, and eventually gain financial freedom by selling your handmade goods.

• It is now us as Creative Women who stand up to get more opportunities! We stand up to encourage and strengthen women to become active in Sweden's labor market and to reduce the employment gap between immigrant women and men.

Do you want to be with us to have your economic power in the labor market in Sweden?

Come and join us in our craft movement, Creative Women!

Do you want to collaborate with many creative women who are passionate about working with different types of arts and crafts in the project?

If so, please fill out this form to participate in the Creative Women project

Hand in Hand for Women's and Couture's Education activities Project Social and cultural integration for foreign-born and newly arrived women
"Together for equality and integration"

Creative Women's project has started from August 2022. The project has received grants from gender equality authorities and from August to December has been active in all three locations in Stockholm, Uppsala and Jönköping from August - December in 2023. Now Malmö and Gothenburg have participated by holding craft markets and circles in the project. In addition, Kreativa Kvinnor's project has developed which is recycling through collaboration with the Red Cross second hand in Södermalm.

At the Red Cross, we have organized a soap-making course, a jewelry course using epoxy techniques and a jewelry course using pearls and stones with foreign-born and newly arrived women. The women remake old clothes using felting and embroidery techniques.
All courses were free and 4 foreign-born and a Swedish volunteer worked in each group together.

Creative Women Recycle in collaboration with the Red Cross

• Free Creative Women's craft courses at Södermalm Red Cross

The goal:

• Culture Education and Hand in Hand For Women association collaborate on Creative Women's Project in Stockholm, Jönköping and Uppsala. Our goal is to encourage and include foreign-born and newly arrived women in Swedish society by providing the opportunity to show their craft skills and experience.

• To contribute foreign women and their language development in society through Creative Women's craft courses.

• Taking responsibility for the environment by focusing on reusing work with other people in the courses.

• To have several chances and have confidence to learn new artist by participating in a craft course.
• Making new friends and building a social life in Creative Women's craft courses.

Methods & Material

What will we do in Creative Women's recycling craft courses.

• Get various Free materials during course periods at Södermalm Red Cross
• Culture's Education Department will provide new free materials for you throughout the courses.
• Creative Women's craft courses will start in October-November (we can write a specific time)
• In each course there should be a circle leader and 3–4 foreign women and 1–2 Swedish speakers in a group.
• In each courses should be 2 hours
• Each circle leader can choose different materials for their participants within courses at the Red Cross or participants can collect their materials from home.
• Sales will be for the benefit of the Red Cross but participants can get their garments to do embroidery or etc.
• To create a recycled guilt window (or: and Christmas market) with your products that you have made that were produced on courses at Södermalm Red Cross at Christmas time in December.

• Of course, you also have the opportunity to create your own designs on your own clothes, provided you bring them from home.

• By applying different craft techniques, such as different embroidery and jewelry techniques, to the used items you choose from the Red Cross or your own item, you can create your own concept and make a difference with an old item and material.

What can you learn in Creative Women's courses

• Learn new crafting skills
• Do useful work with women for the environment
• Take responsibility for the environment and work on environmentally friendly work with second-hand and recycled materials with your group

COME AND MAKE A DIVORCE WITH WOMEN AT SÖDERMALM RED CROSS