In the last weeks our member from Iceland, Den Evangeliska Lutherska Kyrkan I Island, launched a new project on women and social inclusion, called “Stand up for yourself – Way to prosperity.” The program addresses to women who have children and are receiving disability pensions, in order to empower their self-awareness, improve their social network, prevent social exclusion and to strengthen them in their parental role.

Den Evangeliska Lutherska Kyrkan I Island applied for this project after having witnessed, through its social work over the years, the lack of programs and services for this target group. Once finished their rehabilitation and being still unable to work, these women, in fact, frequently receive disability pensions without being involved in any activities: therefore for them the risk of social exclusion is quite high.

The 17 women involved in the project meet up every Thursday morning at Den Evangeliska Lutherska Kyrkan I Island headquarter in Reykjavík. Every week the team of social workers and volunteers running the project prepares for them a program for covering every aspect of life. They attend seminars about finances, health, parenting and self-empowerment and work on projects in groups or individually.

The project is funded by the Icelandic Ministry of Welfare in Iceland: it was approved in November 2017 for two years with a budget covering staff costs, occasional additional lectures as well as food and beverage that the participants receive every week.

To know more about  Den Evangeliska Lutherska Kyrkan I Island, visit the organisation website.