Croatian Association of University Women
Handiwork and Traditional Skills Training Programme

"Handiwork and Traditional Skills Training for Refugee Women and Returnees". This is a well-established income-generating and work-therapy project for women in the area of Glina, 60 miles south of Zagreb.

It was hoped that the occupational therapy would help the women overcome the trauma resulting from displacement as a result of the war that took place in Croatia 1991-1995. Today, this cottage industry continues to provide an important income for about 40 refugee women, some of whom are now widows or main family breadwinners. Most of the work produced is sold through exhibitions in hotels and museums and sales organised by the Croatian Tourist Office. Each piece of work is identified as traditional handicraft and is carefully catalogued.