EmpowerHER Project: Summary and Outcomes
In 2024, Sappho Women delivered EmpowerHER, a short-term capacity-building project focused on women within the LBTIQ+ community, with particular attention to the local context of Lesvos. The project was delivered alongside the International Eressos Women’s Festival and supported through a grant from ELC (EuroCentralAsian Lesbian Community), co-funded by the European Union.
The project was designed to strengthen organisational capacity while offering practical learning spaces for women. It combined staff training, participant workshops, and a small networking event. Activities were planned, delivered, evaluated, and formally reported to the funder.
What the project included
The project consisted of four main components:
- Staff training in event planning, communication, and public speaking.
- Four participant skill-building workshops led by specialists:
- Empowerment with Marta Breen
- Public Speaking with Prof. Louise Morley
- Financial Literacy with Angeliki Savvidou
- Entrepreneurship with Mina Misyrli
- A networking and alliance-building event bringing together women working across different sectors.
- A modest public awareness effort linked to the festival programme.
A total of 74 participants from 13 countries took part in EmpowerHER activities. Sixty-two participants completed post-event feedback forms, which were used to evaluate outcomes and inform reporting.
What worked
The workshops were well attended and feedback was consistently positive. Participants valued the practical focus, the facilitators’ experience, and the opportunity to connect with others in a setting that felt safe and grounded. Repeat participation across activities suggested sustained engagement rather than one-off attendance.
Staff training contributed directly to delivery quality during the 2024 festival period. Skills developed through the project were applied immediately in coordination, communication, and event management.
What didn’t work as planned
One planned staff training session was not delivered due to timing constraints. The public awareness element of the project was more limited than intended, largely due to budget allocation and the absence of dedicated communications expertise. No professional video documentation was produced.
These gaps were identified in the final report and reflected on openly.
What we learned
EmpowerHER reinforced the value of:
- Investing in staff capacity as part of programme sustainability
- Keeping workshops practical and experience-led
- Collecting structured participant feedback
- Being realistic about what small teams can deliver without external specialists
The project also highlighted areas for improvement, including documentation, outreach strategy, and more robust data analysis in future funded work.
Governance and reporting
The project was delivered within the agreed budget and timeframe. Financial records, participant data summaries, and supporting documentation were submitted to EL*C as part of the final report in January 2025. The grant size was sufficient for the scope of work, though future iterations would benefit from modest increases to support documentation and analysis.
Looking ahead
Sappho Women continues to seek funding for capacity-building and community-led programmes that align with our long-term presence in Skala Eressos. EmpowerHER provided a structured opportunity to test approaches, evaluate outcomes, and strengthen internal systems.
We remain committed to transparent planning, delivery, and reporting – and to learning from each project we undertake.
We thank EL*C for the funding that made this project possible and the women who contributed their time and feedback.
This project is now documented on the EmpowerHER project page: https://sapphowomen.org/empowerher/.
