LeadHERship is an Erasmus+ KA210-ADU project focused on empowering women in rural and remote areas through local and online non-formal education. The project strengthens women’s soft skills, leadership capacities, and supportive social networks, contributing to gender equality, personal growth, and stronger communities.

The partnerships involved in the project identified a critical issue: many women living in rural areas are isolated, often engaged in unrecognized and unpaid work (in agriculture, household duties, or family care), and lack access to social networks and development opportunities.

Formal education often focuses on hard skills, while neglecting essential soft skills—such as leadership, communication, empathy, and stress management—which are crucial for self-confidence and success in all areas of life.

Our goal is to address these barriers and create an inclusive learning environment that focuses on:

• Promoting gender equality
  
• Overcoming geographical isolation
  
• Developing essential soft skills

Women who take part in the programme can expect:

• Increased self-confidence and a stronger sense of empowerment
  
• Improved key soft skills (communication, resilience, stress management)
  
• Expanded social support networks
• Competences that contribute to their personal and professional growth

LeadHERship is a small-scale partnership built on strong relationships between three non-profit organizations focused on sustainability:

• Nature Life (Slovakia) – Project coordinator based in the eco-village Zaježová, with extensive experience in non-formal education
  
• Zavod Veles (Slovenia) – A social enterprise focused on sustainability and strengthening the social dimension
• GEN-Deutschland (Germany) – The German network of ecovillages and intentional communities, ensuring the sharing of good practices through its broad network

The project combines international knowledge exchange with direct community support:

• Peer Learning Training (Slovenia): The heart of the project, where partners exchange innovative methodologies for working with adults
  
• Implementation of Local Learning Activities: Each partner will deliver at least 20 hours of practical and inspiring workshops in their local context
  
• Webinar Series: Using digital tools to overcome distance and disseminate leadership knowledge
  

We believe that through LeadHERship we will not only train a new cohort of confident women, but also strengthen the overall well-being of their families and communities. Follow our progress and join us on the journey toward stronger and more equitable rural communities!

In October, the first LeadHERship project meeting took place in Slovakia, where we explored Support to Grow — a softer, more connected approach to leadership.

Feminine leadership invites us to move beyond fixed goals and linear paths. It focuses on listening, trust, and step-by-step discovery, seeing not just the individual actions, but the whole system in which people grow.

Leadership, in this sense, is about holding space — creating safe, inclusive environments where new leaders can emerge, and where boundaries are set with clarity and kindness.

More about the kick-off meeting on Facebook and Instagram.

From December 2025 to June 2026, Zavod Veles is launching LeadHERship – a cycle of several experiential workshops for women from rural areas, focused on exploring voice, body, expression, and inner strength.

Through voice, movement, and theatre-based exercises, participants reconnect with themselves while building trust, support, and a strong women’s community. The programme offers a safe space to breathe, open up, and grow together.

When: December–June
First meeting: 19 December 2025 at 17:00
Where: Cultural Centre Bistrica ob Sotli
Group size: around 10 participants
Participation: free of charge (Erasmus+ KA2 – LeadHERship)

Organised by Zavod Veles