From 7 to 10 October 2026, representatives of the Association of South-Western Municipalities (ASWM) took part in the second international event of the GROW project – Green Rights and Opportunities for Women, funded under the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. The meeting was hosted by the Municipality of Serifos, the Greek partner in the project.

At the heart of the programme was the transnational workshop “Green Pathways – Women’s Roles in Sustainable Cities”, where each partner organisation presented experiences, challenges and good practices from its own country. The ASWM team introduced the partners to the role of women in building sustainable cities and communities in Bulgaria.

A guided tour of the island showed how nature protection and sustainable development come together in the life of a small island community.

The meeting brought together the partners and the local community of Serifos, creating space for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas.

For ASWM, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to share experience with European partners and to build lasting professional connections. The partners are already preparing for the next project activities.

Co-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 the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The GROW project is aimed at empowering women in environmental leadership and sustainable development, with the goal of overcoming gender inequalities in environmental and green policies at the local level. The project promotes inclusive civic participation, gender equality, and a sustainable energy transition in 11 EU Member States.

The activities include capacity building, transnational cooperation, policy advocacy, and raising public awareness. The innovative aspect of the project lies in integrating gender equality and green jobs at the municipal level by providing direct support to women engaged in municipal green sectors and promoting inter-municipal cooperation. The project is implemented by a transnational partnership, with the Municipality of Felsőzsolca (Hungary) as the lead partner, working together with organisations from Italy, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden. The partnership brings together local authorities and civil society organisations with experience in sustainable development, gender equality, and civic participation, ensuring broad geographical coverage and complementary expertise for effective project implementation.

Donor: EU Programme CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) 2021–2027

Call: CERV-2025-CITIZENS-TOWN-NT – Networks of Towns

Action type: CERV-LS

Budget: 150,640.00 EUR 

Implementation period: 24 months

Official project page: https://eunetwork.my.canva.site/growproject/