Young women's empowerment centers
There are about 60 young women's empowerment centers in Sweden, from Malmo in the south to Kiruna in the north. A young women's empowerment center, tjejjour, is a non-profit organizationaimed to support and strengthen young women.
Young women work on a voluntary basis and confidentiality applies to everyone working at the organization so you can be completely anonymous when contacting us if you so wish. Solely women will answer the phone and respond to your questions or thoughts via e-mail or online chatting.
Some of the centers arrange summer camps, girl groups and workshops in schools. Anyone who identifies as a young woman can turn to a young women's empowerment centre with any thought or crisis.
No matter if you have an eating disorder, are sick of school, have just fallen in love, experience pain while having sex or if you are angry with your aunt who drinks too much, women working at the centers listen to you without judging, without telling you what is right or wrong and without making any medical diagnosis!
Many of those who contact the centers have been subjected to violence and abuse or are feeling low or depressed of various reasons.
At some of the young women's empowerment centers there are only a few people working while other centers have much more capacity and members. The centers often have a small premises with space for computers, telephone and maybe some couches.
The women who work at the centers are neither experts nor professional psychiatrists but they can listen, encourage and can tell you where to turn to or even go with you to the police station to file a report.
Most of the centers apply a feminist approach.
Tjejjouren.se
Tjejjouren.se is a gateway for all young women's empowerment centers in Sweden. Here you can find your nearest center or search among the information texts in the Girl Guide.
The web page is primarily intended for you who identifies as a young woman, but also turns to you as a relative to a young woman or if you are just curious about the young women's empowerment centers.
As a young woman you can pose a question right here on-line and it will be answered within 48 hours. Connected to tjejjouren.se there is also a great intranet where the women working at the centers can exchange thoughts and experiences.
There is a great interest in the young women's empowerment centers, yet many people are still not aware of their existence. Tjejjouren.se is a way to reach all young women who are in need of support. This includes all the young women living in areas where there are no centers.
We know there is a need for this kind of web site since the statistics show that there are many young women who, on a daily basis, face a tough environment. They are subjected to insults, harassments and sexual violence to a much greater extent than boys of the same age.
Many also experience anxiety and thoughts of suicide and suffer from self harming behavior. Tjejjouren.se is also a way to visualize a large and important movement which is still unknown to many.