This document provides information about a project to empower immigrant women in Sweden with low education and work experience. It summarizes statistics on immigrant populations in Sweden and barriers faced by the target group. The project will research challenges, create regional partnerships, and develop a strategy and report with recommendations. Activities include raising awareness, partnership building, evaluating effective coaching methods, and disseminating results to employment services and other stakeholders.

1. Yevgeniya Averhed
Project manager
Nordic Network for Empowerment of
Immigrant women with low
educational / working experience
Nordplus Vuxen project
1/09/2010 – 30/08/2011

2. General statistics 2010
 Total number of immigrants in Sweden
1mln. or 17 %
 Immigration flow
2009 – women 49 298 / men 52 982
2010 – women 46 000 / men 53 000
 Countries of origin (2009)
Iraqi women -153 120
Somali women - 58 588

3. Educational level of immigrant women in
Sweden
 Country of origin matters
High- educated from Iran – 40 %
from Iraq – 30 %
from Somalia – less then 10 %
Men in average are more educated then women
Women from Somalia have the lowest level of
education compared to women from Iran / Iraq.

4. Employment of immigrants in Sweden
Pre-
vocational
education
 Factors:
- Country of origin
- Educational level
- Number of years in Sweden
50 % of immigrants from Iran are employed 10
years after immigration
35 % immigrants from Somalia are employed
10 years after immigration

5. Employment of immigrant women in Sweden
2009
 58,7 % of immigrant women were employed in
2009 compared to 74,7 % of women born in
Sweden
 32 % of immigrant women are not in the labour
force (not looking for a job) at the moment of
research
 42 % of immigrant women have never worked in
their life

6. Immigrant women in education
 Sfi (Swedish for immigrants) – 60 % are women
Biggest group – women from Somalia
The second place – with Arabic as a mother
tongue
 About 70 000 of immigrants were both outside
the labour larket and education in 2009
 A lack of statistics regarding immigrant women
with low education

7. Most common barriers for the target group
according to stakeholders
 Interviewed stakeholders: PES, Social welfare,
NGOs, municipalities, other.
Barriers:
1.Lack of adjusted methods / time for integration to education /
labour market;
2.Lack of skilled staff;
3.Too advanced demands to enter labour market ;
4.Lack of “easier “ jobs at labour market;
5.Social welfare system;
6.Lack of opportunities to start own business;
7.Cultural barriers / family / language
8.Lack of proper education / demanded skills + knowledge
9.Generalisation – lack of attention to the needs of women!

8. Project activities flow
1. Awarenes
s rising
on
regional
level
2. Creation
of social
partnersh
ip at
regional
level
3. Research
4. Country
reports
1. Comparison
of results
2. Inclusion of
Liberal Adult
Education
into the
strategy
1. Feedback
by partners
2. External
expert
• Placement
of the
report on
relevant
national
Web-sites
• Placement
on Internet
• Participate
in 1national
conference
Design
of a common
strategy and
Joint Report
Research and
creation of regional
partnerships
Evaluation
Finalisation Dissemination

9. Expected results:
1. Joint report on strategy for inclusion
Transparency of
information on
educational
system and
labour market
Information on
responsible
authorities:
Who? How?
Effective
methods for
coaching /
mentorship
Effective
methods for
motivation and
self-esteem

10. Public
Employment
Services
NGOs
VETproviders
WelfareOffice
Business sector
Immigrant
women
Expected results:
2. Regional Network / Partnership around the target group

11. Folkbildning /Liberal Adult Education / in
Sweden
• Swedish folkbildning is the collective name for the
activities conducted by the country’s folk high
schools and study associations in the form of
courses, study circles and cultural activities.
• Folkbildning is a part of the liberal non-formal
educational system.

12. Liberal Adult Education concept
• Voluntary
• Participants influence the content
• Learning and social interaction go hand in
hand
• Contributes to strengthening of civic society
through close cooperation with volunteer
organisations, NGOs

13. Study circles
The study circle is the most important form of study
in the study associations. In the study circle, a small
group meets to learn together based on a plan of
study and with a study circle leader.
There are study circles in hundreds of different
subjects. Some have a more theoretical emphasis,
such as language, history and studies in current
social issues.
Others are more practically oriented, such as dance,
woodworking, instrumental music and so forth.

14. Financial reporting 1
1. 75 % - grant
25 % - own funding
2. Eligible posters for reporting (grant):
- Travel
- Accommodation / board
- Other costs (example, translation, printing)
3. Eligible posters for reporting (own contribution):
- Cash funding
- In-kind contributions (work hours)
1. 75 % - grant
25 % - own funding
2. Eligible posters for reporting (grant):
- Travel
- Accommodation / board
- Other costs (example, translation, printing)
3. Eligible posters for reporting (own contribution):
- Cash funding
- In-kind contributions (work hours)

15. Ineligible costs:
• Overhead costs, i.e. general unspecified costs not
directly connected to the Nordplus project
• Office equipment (such as IT equipment)
• Costs for non-Nordic or non-Baltic participants
• Costs for activities outside the Nordic or Baltic
countries
Attention! Salaries – as self-financing and other
costs!
Financial reporting 2

16. Financial reporting 3
Letter from the company reg. subsistence cost:
-Daily allowance
-Actual costs
All the receipts should be included to the report
(copies)!
Originals of all the receipts should be kept by each
partner during 5 years after project termination in
case of audits!
Actual travel costs should be reported (not ones
given in handbook)!

17. Financial reporting 4
Financial Reports to coordinator:
1.Interim – deadline the 20th
of March 2011– to finalize
before the 10th
of April 2011!
2.Final – deadline the 15th
of August 2011– to finalize
before the 15th
of September 2011
Tables for reporting and other needed documentation
20 % of the grant will be paid in case of approval of
the final report by the agency!

18. Contact person:
Yevgeniya Averhed
yevgeniya.averhed@folkuniversitetet.se
+46 18 68 00 36