Women to Women: Intercultural Forces is a grassroots initiative led by Arabic- and Farsi-speaking migrant and refugee women in Slovenia. It is a living example of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in action - women building peace, social cohesion, and a sense of belonging from the ground up. Since launching its first activities in January 2025, the initiative has combined peer-support networks for women’s social integration with community arts, storytelling, and collective learning to create bridges across cultures and communities.

Our activities were first launched in January 2025 by a team of 15 Arabic- and Farsi-speaking women and girls from diverse backgrounds. The initiative’s actions combine theatre, art workshops, research, and policy advocacy.

Through workshops such as Political Healing through Henna, the initiative reclaims henna as a women’s tradition from the SWANA region and transforms it into a space for critical intercultural learning, care, and socio-political solidarity. Through performances such as Al Ghawazi na Poti, migrant women share stories through art and creativity to challenge gendered and ethnic stereotypes and build connections beyond borders.

The initiative also creates a strong support network among women with diverse identities and lived experiences, including Muslim women, trans Muslim women, atheist women, queer women, and others, fostering solidarity across differences. Its weekly Women to Women Reading Circle invites migrant and refugee women, as well as wider community members, to read and discuss books written by women about women. The current circle is facilitated by a woman from Afghanistan living in Slovenia, and the selected book is Under the Sky of Kabul, a collection of stories by Afghan women.

Beyond cultural programming, the initiative produces policy recommendations on migration and integration, with its first issue already submitted to the Centre for Information for Foreigners in Slovenia. It brings together arts, research, and knowledge production to amplify the leadership, voices, and expertise of migrant and refugee women from different faiths and social identities, including LGBTQ+ communities. The initiative also includes an Intercultural Youth Club, created by migrant youth in Slovenia, which uses digital platforms to connect young people, share resources, and support their own intercultural dialogue activities.

Explore our activities below :

1. Workshops and Community Activities

This section presents the activities of the Women to Women: Intercultural Forces initiative, including different forms of community engagement, creative practice, and collective work.

• Al Ghawazi Na Poti is a participatory community performance that uses storytelling, movement, and collective artistic expression to explore gendered stereotypes, migration, and cultural identity through shared creative practice.
• Political Healing through Henna is a participatory workshop that uses the traditional practice of henna as a space for reflection, healing, and intercultural dialogue, where women explore themes of identity, care, and collective resilience through creative expression.
• Community Arts – Building Communities, Generating Knowledge is a participatory resource that explores how community arts practices can be used as a tool for social engagement, collective learning, and knowledge creation. It highlights approaches that connect artistic expression with community building and intercultural dialogue.

2. Educational videos

This section includes a collection of educational videos that address topics related to everyday life and social contexts in Slovenia.

• Living in Slovenia is a series of educational videos that present everyday situations in Slovenia in a clear and accessible way. The videos are in Arabic with Slovenian subtitles and are designed to support understanding of key aspects of daily life, services, and social interactions for migrant and refugee women.

  They offer practical, visual explanations that help make information more understandable and easier to apply in real-life situations.

  • Healthcare
  • Housing
  • Bullying in Schools
  • Gender- and sex-based violence
  • General integration

3. Guides and Publications

This section brings together practical resources developed to support migrant and refugee women in Slovenia. It includes accessible information on essential services, rights, and integration processes.

• Guide for Women in Slovenia is a practical and user-friendly booklet in Arabic that provides essential information to support migrant and refugee women in their daily lives and integration into Slovenian society. It is structured around five key topics – healthcare, housing, bullying in schools, gender- and sex-based violence, and general integration.

4. Stories and Feminist Voices

This section highlights stories, reflections, and creative work that amplify the voices of women, particularly from migrant and refugee communities. Through storytelling, reading circles, and feminist narratives, the initiative creates space for women to share lived experiences, challenge dominant stereotypes, and connect across borders.

• Voices of Women in Afghanistan - Reading Circle is a community space where women engage with literature and storytelling to explore themes of resilience, identity, and lived experiences of Afghan women.
• Feminism in an Arabic speaking tone is a short collection of personal stories and reflections related to feminism in Arabic-speaking contexts. It presents individual narratives that illustrate lived experiences and perspectives shaped by gender, language, and culture.