ERASMUS+ European Handmaker Network 2021-2023
Project Summary
CONTEXT
According to data from the European Commission, in the entrepreneur category women figure as 29% of the total, with a slight increase of 3%
from 2008 to today (1). These data show an underutilization of the female workforce, corroborated by statistics on the overall employment of
women in Europe, equal to 67.4% in 2018 (against an average of 79% for the male counterpart) (2). The European Union is founded on core
values, including equality. And it promotes equality between men and women at all levels3 is one of these. Promoting self-employment and
female entrepreneurship, to increase employment levels and the economic autonomy of women, is therefore a desirable action.
THE PROJECT
The “European Handmakers Network” project is part of this theme, proposing the creation of a digital platform that allows European women
handmakers (hobbyists) to have a place where they can be followed by online mentoring activities in English, in order to increase their skills and
turn their hobby into a micro business. This mentoring activity may concern not only women already operating in the manual labor sector, but
also those who want to transform their home craft business into a job. Many women in various regions of Europe in fact already deal with the
production of handiworks, which contribute informally to the sustenance of the family. In addition, women who are already successfully carrying
out their entrepreneurial activity would be given the opportunity to exercise a role of trainers and to be a good example for other women, as well
as to promote their business at European level.
The digital platform would allow to:
1. Deepen the financial training of handmakers;
2. Provide methodological tools on the start of self-employment;
3. Develop the communication and training skills of the mentors registered on the platform;
4. Disseminate the exchange of good practices, through peer-to-peer mentor-handmaker training;
5. Create a sustainable training network at European level between mentors and users.
The project therefore envisages cooperation between different partners at European level, with a specification of the roles and tasks to be
performed. The organizations involved will thus be able to make available their skills in communication, training, ICT and financial education to
be able to carry out the project, under the coordination of Creativi108 which already has projects focused on similar issues, such as the project “
Florà: Handmade across Europe “(2017-1-IT02-KA204- 036766)
EXPECTED IMPACT:
On women handmakers:
-Development of skills useful for establishing a micro enterprise
-Acquisition of methodological tools to start your own business
-Ability to join an online community to increase your success
-Ability to be able to transform your informal home business into a micro-enterprise that generates income
-Ability to be able to learn about good practices
-Be part of a European solidarity network
On women entrepreneurs:
-Development of communication skills in mentoring (through mentoring guide)
-Exchange good practices
-International advertising of their businesses through training activities
BENEFICIARIES:
-Women handmakers
-Women who intend to start their own micro-business
-Women entrepreneurs
– Businesses run by women
– Women’s organizations
-Families where women informally produce artifacts
– EU organizations in the field of women’s employment
-Training organizations dealing with self-entrepreneurship
TARGET GROUPS:
– Hobbyist women
-Unemployed women
-Women who intend to start their own micro-business
-Successful businesses run by women
-Training organizations in the economic and financial fields
PROJECT MEETINGS
Join us on our platform and check out the Masterclasses in order to better know the mentors which are going to follow your handmaker progress.
Woman weave is a platform dedicated to women with entrepreneurial drive in the handmade sector. However, developed by the Italian Non profit organization Creativi108 it has international ambitions. In fact, the women handmakers who collaborate in its development come from all over the world.
We help women who want A to open a successful small business with the hand-made by putting them in contact with successful handmakers that can guide them with mentoring sections. Women who have achieved their financial independence and manage their micro-enterprise work.
The movie tells the story of two talented women – Mrs. Iwona and Mrs. Maja, who come from different areas of handicraft art. Mrs. Iwona creates beautiful jewelry from natural materials such as stones, shells, and even wood. In turn, Mrs. Maja deals with painting and graphic design, creating wonderful paintings and posters.
Both women are participants in the European Hanmakers Network project, which aims to promote art and artistic craftsmanship throughout Europe. The film shows how Mrs. Iwona and Mrs. Maja create their works of art, while also showing their passion and dedication to their work.
During the film, we can see how Mrs. Iwona collects natural materials and how she processes them into beautiful jewelry, as well as how Mrs. Maja creates her works of art, inspired by the beauty of nature and landscapes. Both women talk about their work and passion, as well as the difficulties and challenges that their fields bring with them.