With the aim of empowering women and strengthening their participation in the social and economic life of the area, the Konitsa Smart Village Lab has been established within the framework of the European INSPIRE project with the support of the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA).
In Konitsa, the participatory Lab “BRIDGE TO TOMORROW – Women of Konitsa | Empower • Create • Connect” aspires to become an open space for meeting, collaboration and creative expression for local women, while also promoting the area’s cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
Through participatory processes, workshops and discussions with women from the local community, several key needs and challenges were identified, including social isolation and gender stereotypes, limited access to training and entrepreneurship opportunities, the lack of spaces for participation and creative expression, as well as the need to preserve and promote local cultural identity.
The Lab will be hosted at the premises of the Women’s Association of Konitsa “Myrtali”, with its active support and the participation of women from Konitsa, local associations, community groups and active citizens. The space will host meetings, workshops, creative activities, seminars and initiatives designed and implemented by the participants themselves.
Among the first initiatives of the Lab are activities related to local gastronomy, creative expression, intergenerational knowledge transfer and women’s empowerment. A flagship initiative is “Traditional Recipes of Konitsa and Digital Storytelling”, through which local women will document traditional recipes, stories and memories connected to the area’s food heritage, using contemporary digital tools. In parallel, activities focusing on mental well-being, handicrafts and the revival of traditional techniques are being explored, alongside film screenings and discussion evenings that will create opportunities for social interaction, exchange of experiences and stronger social ties among women in the area.
The Lab “BRIDGE TO TOMORROW” creates the conditions for the knowledge, traditions and creativity of Konitsa’s women to be transformed into collective action and new opportunities for the community. Through collaboration, skills development and joint initiatives, it aims to become a lasting space for participation, creativity and mutual support, strengthening the role of women in the social and economic life of the region.
INSPIRE supports social inclusion, well-being, and rural development through Smart Village Labs, which aim to establish more inclusive governance frameworks. INSPIRE is 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 European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
