🇮🇹
Italy · Coordinator
SOS Europa APS
Italian civil society organisation promoting European values, active citizenship, inclusion, equality and international cooperation.
Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges
Project 101139352
AFRICAN &
EUROPEAN
WOMEN IN ACTION
Connecting women, cultures and communities across Europe and Africa through intercultural dialogue, intangible cultural heritage and international cooperation.
6
Partner Countries
2
Continents
36
Project Months
3
International Meetings
2024
Project Start
2027
Project End
AEWiA
Women connecting Europe and Africa
About the project
Women as bridges between cultures.
African and European Women in Action – AEWiA is a 36-month European cooperation project bringing together civil society organisations from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The project promotes and strengthens the role of women in intercultural dialogue between Europe and Africa, recognising intangible cultural heritage as a living resource for identity, inclusion, social cohesion and sustainable development.
AEWiA starts from a simple idea: women are not only custodians of traditions and collective memory. They are also innovators, community leaders and agents of social transformation.
By connecting organisations and communities across six countries, AEWiA creates a shared space where European and African perspectives meet, cultural identities are valued and women's voices contribute to shaping more inclusive and resilient societies.
◎ Women’s empowerment
◎ Intercultural dialogue
◎ Intangible cultural heritage
◎ Sustainable development
◎ Europe–Africa cooperation
◎ Community participation
A transcontinental partnership
Six countries. Two continents.
One shared vision.
AEWiA connects organisations rooted in different cultural, social and geographical contexts around a common commitment: strengthening women's participation and creating lasting bridges between Africa and Europe.
🇮🇹
Italy
Europe
🇲🇹
Malta
Europe
🇲🇰
North Macedonia
Europe
🇰🇪
Kenya
Africa
🇳🇬
Nigeria
Africa
🇬🇭
Ghana
Africa
The partnership
A network across Europe and Africa.
Six organisations bring together complementary experience, local knowledge and international perspectives to build a genuinely transcontinental cooperation.
🇲🇹
Malta
International E-Learning Institute Ltd – IELI
International organisation contributing expertise in digitalisation, international cooperation and innovative approaches to knowledge exchange.
🇲🇰
North Macedonia
Association for Progress, Education and Lobbying – PEL
Civil society organisation active in participation, social inclusion, youth engagement and international cooperation.
🇰🇪
Kenya
Volunteer Action for Change – VACK
Kenyan organisation working with young people and women through community initiatives, empowerment, volunteering and local development.
🇳🇬
Nigeria
Pinnacle Youth Outreach – PYO
Nigerian organisation supporting young people and girls through community engagement, inclusion, participation and opportunities for personal growth.
🇬🇭
Ghana
Organisation for Strategic Development in Africa – OSDA
Ghanaian NGO supporting sustainable community development, social inclusion and initiatives for young people and women.
International cooperation
Three international meetings.
One shared journey.
From East Africa to West Africa and back to Europe, AEWiA's international meetings strengthened the partnership, connected local realities and supported a shared vision for the project.
International Meeting 01
Nairobi, Kenya
28 June — 2 July 2024
AEWiA officially began its international journey in Nairobi, where representatives of all six partner organisations met to establish the foundations of the cooperation.
Hosted by VACK, the kick-off strengthened relationships among the project teams and established the project's implementation framework, timeline, monitoring approach, quality processes, communication strategy and visual identity.
The programme also offered partners direct contact with Kenyan cultural heritage and local realities, creating a strong connection between project management and the cultural dimension at the heart of AEWiA.
Kick-off
Partnership
Cultural heritage
Project strategy
International Meeting 02
Accra & Ghana
2 — 5 July 2025
One year after Nairobi, the partnership met again in Ghana for an important transnational stage of the AEWiA journey.
Partners reviewed the progress achieved, worked together on project results and strengthened the connection between European and African experiences.
The mission also created opportunities for direct dialogue with local communities, women, young people and institutional stakeholders. A significant institutional meeting was held with the District Chief Executive of Afadzato South District Assembly, supported by project partner OSDA.
The visit to Cape Coast Castle added a powerful dimension of historical memory, connecting cultural heritage with dignity, justice, peace and universal human rights.
Ghana
Community dialogue
Institutional cooperation
Historical memory
International Meeting 03
Skopje, North Macedonia
4 — 7 June 2026
The third international meeting marked another important stage in the implementation of AEWiA.
SOS Europa, IELI and PEL participated in person in Skopje, while PYO, VACK and OSDA joined the staff sessions online, ensuring the participation of the entire partnership.
Partners reviewed project results, monitoring data, deliverables and the progress achieved, while coordinating the actions required for the final phase of AEWiA.
The meeting also strengthened cultural cooperation through an exchange with the National and University Library of Skopje and visits to Matka Canyon and the Macedonian Village, connecting the partnership once again with living cultural heritage.
Monitoring
Quality
Cultural cooperation
Project results
Dissemination & public engagement
Taking AEWiA beyond the partnership.
Public events have brought AEWiA into contact with institutions, civil society organisations, local stakeholders, educators, young people and communities, expanding the conversation on women's empowerment and Europe–Africa cooperation.
Institutional highlight
Italian Parliament
Chamber of Deputies
Rome · 9 December 2025
SOS Europa presented the intermediate achievements of AEWiA in the Press Room of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. The event brought together representatives of public institutions, civil society, academia, private organisations and youth-work professionals.
The meeting created an institutional space to discuss European–African cooperation, women's leadership, intercultural dialogue and the value of intangible cultural heritage.
29 November 2025
Rome
SOS Europa Headquarters · Local stakeholders, volunteers, young women and civil society.
4 December 2025
Milan
Spazio PIN · Public dialogue on women, intercultural cooperation and project impact.
9 December 2025
Rome
Italian Parliament · Chamber of Deputies Press Room.
12 December 2025
Bologna
Spazio Kobain · Engagement with local stakeholders and civil society organisations.
13 December 2025
Florence
Impact Hub Firenze · Social innovators, educators, youth workers and nonprofit organisations.
24 January 2026
Tolfa
Municipality of Tolfa · Dialogue with local institutions and civil society representatives.
10 May 2026
Rome
Municipality V of Rome · International communities, intercultural dialogue and participation.
AEWiA in action
People. Dialogue. Communities.
AEWiA is built around encounters: between people, organisations, communities, cultures and perspectives.
Dedicated learning space
Explore the
AEWiA Academy.
Looking for AEWiA's learning resources, digital content, videos and interactive materials? We created a dedicated space where all educational resources can be explored separately from the institutional project page.
Co-funded by the European Union
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.