Baltic-Russian- Swedish resource centre for women
NGO Center of development "Veda"

The goal of the project:
The main goal is to create the Women Resource Centre in St. Petersburg for the supporting of the women through the adult education and informative consulting, which will allow them to become aware of their individual and professional capacities and to acquire new knowledge and skills that are in demand in the region where each particular person lives.

The first step of the project
became the seminar "The women's resource centres in St Petersburg - necessity and opportunity".
The seminar studied in the K. Paustovsky Library, where Center Veda in 2003 by the support of Forum Syd opened the "Center of Tolerance".
In seminar took part 31 persons: 3 - colleges from Sweden, 1 - from Germany and 1 - from Estonia, 11 persons represented the members of Center "Veda", 5 - leaders of NGOs, 9 - persons - teachers from 9 Universities (4 - the members of Center Veda), 3 - psychological trainers from Tambov, 6- entrepreneurs.
The seminar studded 2 days.
During the first day, colleges from European countries:
- Lisbeth Holmquist-Arbrandt -"Baltic-Russian- Swedish resource centre for women", (Sweden),
- Christianne Bannuscher - "Women's resource centres in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern", Germany,
- Anna-Marie Rannamäe - QUIN, Estonia,
acquainted Russian colleges with the history of the development of women's resource centers in their countries, and with the ways of their creating.
Olga Sopina (Center Veda, Russia) told about the statistic data, which show the different sides of the women's life in St. Petersburg.
At the start of the seminar all the participators got 5 questions, which they were suggested to answer:
1. Is it difficult to be the woman?
2. Who will benefit from the women resources center?
3. What kind of the experience of the European women resources centers will be useful for Russia?
4. What do you want to get from the women resources center?
5. What can you give to the women resources center?

Around the talking table all the members of seminar could discuss the reports of colleges from Europe and speak about the possibilities of creating the Women resource center in St. Petersburg. Our trainers summed the answers on the questions.
The results were following:
To day the women's life in Russia is more difficult then the men's one. The immediate cause is in the women's double working load: at home and at the job. In Russia women are responsible for the family much more then the men. Thus women require the special support on the labor market, the support which raises women's possibilities be economical independent. One of the ways may be the development of women entrepreneurs.
In Russia the ration between the numbers of small enterprises and the number of population is much lower, compared with the same ration in Europe. At the same time, the structure of the small business in Russia and especially in the big cities has the great warp to the wholesale trade and retail trade. From one side it is the result of the people's distrust to the long-term stability in the business, high administrative barriers on a way to small enterprise and high taxes, on the other side, it is the result of a lack of knowledge about what kind of business women can start up and what kind of it can be successful.
Many participators note that the most important problem for them is the absence of information and especial the international professional information.
In St. Petersburg WRC will be useful as for women, who want to start the new business, as for the business successful women.
Our European colleges confirm that in theirs countries the benefit, which women must get from WRC contain supporting in the process of starting up and consolidation of the business:
- information and guidance in respect to the start of a business and the consolidation of the existing business (idea, business fields, regional conditions, partners)
- analysis of ideas and common problems in business life (financial strategy, situation on the market, chances of success)
- seminars on business objectives under special consideration of the situation of women and men
- Meetings of the regional networks (participants of the project and other regional partners) and all networks throughout the country
- Arrangement of help and support for other business women of the network, e.g. by giving a practical training which can led to a creation of a new job.

The resume of the discussion is:
· It is important for St. Petersburg to build up the women's resource center.
· The priority subject in the work of the center must be the changing of gender stereotypes, and raising women possibilities to be economic independent.
· The center can be opened on the territory of the Library named by K. Paustovsky.
· Center Veda takes the responsible for the work of WRC.

On the second day of seminar, Russian teachers show Master Classes:
"Active methods for self-knowledge and self-development".
There were presented different technique by which our teachers helps pregnancy women, women in depression or those, who want to understand themselves:
- sing therapy, Natalia Kovalenko
- drawing therapy, July Tishinskaia
- body oriented therapy, Nina Tutkova
- sensor therapy, Grigori Polakov
These methods may be useful in the work of WRC.

On the conclusion of seminar O. Sopina summed the results:
The fist tasks of the WRC must be:
· To acquaint with the experience of European WRCs, it's structure and methods of work,
· To prepare the international projects for the future contacts,
· To look out the possibility of interaction between Russian and European entrepreneurs:
To provide for Russian women to join to network of European entrepreneurs.

To realize these tasks we propose 5 projects:

1. To create the Internet club for women.

Problem.
Middle age women more often have no education in the Internet. The Internet café oriented to teenagers and young people. For women the Internet Information is closed.
Decision.
To open the Internet club for women on the territory of the library.
The Libraries is most popular place among the women in St. Petersburg.
Series of teaching training seminars about the Internet will help women to come into the Internet space.
Profit.
The club will promote the business women to get the information about their colleges.
Russian WRC will get information about European WRCs.
Russian women will get more information distribution and become more competent on the labor market.
Resources.
We have:
· Place for Internet club - library,
· High quality specialists in IT for preparing the Computer connection,
· Volunteers - the workers of library, who can work in Internet club during the daytime,
· Teachers for Internet knowledge.
Needs.
· 5 computers,
· To prepare the line of computer and Internet communication,
· Billing of Internet provider (6 month),
· Salary for the administrator of opening the club (3 month),
· Salary for Teachers:
    - training seminar for librarians, who will work in Internet club as a volunteers (10 hours),
    - constant training seminars for women : "What is the Internet and what can I get from it?", (1 time (8 hours) in a 2 month),
· Salary for the specialist for execution of order for women entrepreneurs.

2. To translate International WRC sites and to create the page of Russian WCR.
Problem.
All the sites about WRCs are on the Swedish or English. Not so many Russian women know foreign languages. There is no information about Russian entrepreneurs on these sites.
Decision.
To translate the most significant pagers from the sites www.women.eu.com, www.nutek.se.rc (or others under the treaty) into Russian.
To translate information about Russian WRC into Swedish or English languages.
Profit.
Information on both languages will support the united of our countries and facilitate the looking for the partners in both countries.
Resources.
We have Translators on and off English, and Specialist in IT for supporting the Russian part of website.
Needs.
· Translators from Swedish to Russian and vice versa.
· Salary for translators and IT engineers.

3. To increase the possibilities of Russian women to start the new small business by means of creating:
- Dictionary of small businesses,
- Films of small business,
- Education in the field of small business.

3.1 Dictionary of small businesses
Problem.
Working in the NGO, which helps people to start their business, we often meet the request from the women to help them to find any home business. Unfortunately, the variety of the small businesses in Russia is very monotony.
Decision.
To publish the reference manual about the variety of small businesses, which are developed in the Europe and which can have analog in Russia. The book will be addressed to the women, who want to start up, develop or spread their business. The special attention will be draw to the home-based business, which is least capital-intensive and thus, can be most accessible in Russia.
Profit.
The main goals of the book will be:
- To help people, who want to start up or develop their home-based business, to select the most successful idea for it,
- To assist Russian and European entrepreneurs in cooperation,
- To increase in Russia the variety of small businesses and services.
To increase the possibilities for Russian women to take into account the experience of European colleges, it is assumed to publish the emails and web sites of European professional associations of small businesses.
Resources.
Experience in the printing the books.
Publishing house, which help Center Veda to print 2 books:
"The competent conduct on the labor market" - 1000 copies,
"Small business - it is simple" - 500 copies.
Needs.
Joint efforts (Russian and Sweden, may be German and Estonia) in the collect the information about the small women business in all countries.
Translators on English, Swedish, German, Russian, Estonian.

3.2 Cinema for education of new specialty handicrafts
Problem.
Entrepreneurs, who are handicraftsmen, work as individuals and have no possibilities to exchange their experience or get useful professional information.
Decision.
Prepare the films about the methods of working in the different handicraft techniques as for Russian as for Swedish people. (For example, twig network, wicker-work in Sweden)
Profit.
Changers of national traditions help us to understand each other and can be the new technique in the handicraft business.
Resources.
All the equipment for preparing the quality films.
High quality specialists in video professions.
Needs.
Meeting in Sweden and Russia with handicraft Masters.
Invitation of Russian operators to Swedish National Festivals.

3.3 Start knowledge for build up small enterprise
Problem.
Women in the rural have no opportunities to get the education in the subjects of their interest. For example, service in small cafe, landscaping and so on. At the same time the St. Petersburg has such specialists.
Decision.
To prepare the courses for women in Tosno who want to start new business. For some classes we may invite Swedish teachers.
Profit.
Rural women can start the small business
Resources.
There is the "Center of women initiatives" in Tosno (the small town, 50 km from St. Petersburg).
There are St. Petersburg's teachers - members of Center Veda, who have knowledge.
Needs.
Salary for teachers and for manager of courses.
Transport bills.