Strengthening Women's Entrepreneurship in Korydallos Prisons through a specialized training program
SOCIETY
BUSINESS: 532 PRACTICES
TOPIC:
Initiative
SUBMITTED FROM:
AthensFashionClub Fashion School
Objective Action
The aim of this specific action is to strengthen and facilitate the smooth reintegration into society of imprisoned women of Korydallos Prison through Entrepreneurship education. This program is a personal initiative of designer Maria Vytinidou and is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the AthensFashionClub Fashion School.
Following a specific education model, the aim is to reform human culture in terms of reintegration into society, to strengthen work and reduce social inequality in released women, to develop new perceptions and a comprehensive approach not only to entrepreneurship but also to general practices in the context of transactions between people and society, which are governed by ethics and legality. The aim is also to strengthen respect for people and human dignity as well as to provide equal opportunities.
Through this specific goal, the aim is also to prevent the recurrence of delinquent behavior.
Maria Vytinidou has publicly stated on the ERT3 channel, where she presented the initiative, that she intends to hire women in her business who will be released from prison and who participated in and completed her training in prison.
Watch the ERT tribute:
https://www.ertnews.gr/video/i-gynaikeia-epixeirimatikotita-stis-fylakes-korydallou/
Target Audience
The educational program is aimed at all female prisoners of Korydallos Prison, regardless of age, educational level or nationality, who want to engage in business activities after their release in the fashion and beauty sector, such as opening a clothing store, starting an e-shop, a beauty salon, nail spa or hair salon.
The program was piloted in the Greek language and next year will include prisoners who speak English.
Duration
The training program lasted 4 months, with 3 hours of weekly lessons.
Description
Women who have been released from prison face problems of reintegration into society, as it is difficult for a company to hire them with a serious criminal record. They are also socially stigmatized, face racism and after their release they are afraid to try for a second time to make a new start as entrepreneurs. Given the above, an educational program was created by the teachers and educational advisors of the AthensFashionClub school, aimed on the one hand to strengthen their knowledge in modern business and on the other hand to create new perceptions and new opportunities for work.
This educational program is being held for the 1st time in Greece, as it was based entirely on the social sensitivity of the designer Maria Vytinidou and her pioneering spirit in daring to do something so specialized.
The value proposition offered by the program is:
1. Strengthening employment for released women
2. Reducing social inequality
3. Smooth reintegration into society
4. Shaping new social perceptions
5. Strengthening legal entrepreneurship
6. Preventing delinquent behavior
7. Raise awareness in society
8. Positive impact
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Impact on Society
The individual educational objectives of the program were as follows and were fully achieved
1. All imprisoned women participated in a special individual evaluation at the end of the educational program with an overall average score of 7/10.
2. They also submitted a completed group Business Model Canvas, describing the creation of a virtual Sustainable Fashion Brand called << Positive Horizon>>, which will manufacture and sell Conceptual women's T-shirts. This virtual business is aimed at women who place themselves in a new world through change and positivity without commitments to freedom of thought.
3. Through the training and discussions, 62 best practices in entrepreneurship were recorded
4. Also, the prisoners themselves reported 35 << Golden Conclusions>> through their experience.
5. 9 Taglines were recorded as slogans to be printed on T-Shirts
6. A T-Shirt was designed as a product model of the virtual fashion brand.
7. The overall experience of the educational program as well as the educational material will be presented as a book titled << Entrepreneurship behind bars>>
8. On July 6, 2023, a special event will be held inside Korydallos prison to present the results of the program.
Initiative Location
The women's prisons of Korydallos.
Working with Organization
The only organization that carried out the educational program is the AthensFashionClub Fashion School, with its designer and founder, Maria Vytinidou, as instructor.
Information about the AthensFashionClub Fashion School:
www.athensfashionclub.com
mail: [email protected]
16 Feron, Kanigos Square, Athens
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Workers Participation
The training was entirely conducted by Maria Vytinidou. Designer Maria Vytinidou has a rich CV in the field of education and innovation, which you can read below.
Chemist B.Sc., MBA, Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur
VOGUE ITALIA-recognized Maria Vytinidou, Chemist from the University of Crete and graduate of Central St Martin’s College of Arts & Design and London College of Fashion, is also the owner of the label “Maria Vytinidou Eco Luxury Brand” and the Fashion Business Group that includes the Fashion School AthensFashionClub, the 1st Fashion Incubator in Greece ‘The Fashion Gate’ and the 1st Hybrid Online Store & Co-Working Space in Greece ‘The Sustainable Floor’.
The Premiere Vision International Exhibition in Paris highlighted her in 2015 as the most innovative Fashion Designer in Greece, while the global accelerator Startupbootcamp High Tech XL in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, established her company as one of the top 20 high-tech fashion companies in the world for the Wearable Technology garments she creates.
Her first priority is the business and design development of young creators originating from Crete, as in 2000 she left her place of origin to seek an international career and open new paths for the next generations of fashion entrepreneurs.
In the context of the development of new entrepreneurship in the fashion sector, in May 2016, he created the 1st Incubator of Young Fashion Designers ‘The Fashion Gate’ with the aim of Business Acceleration of our country’s young talents and the promotion of their Collections at International exhibitions abroad, a fact that was crowned with success in August 2017 and 2018 with the Trade Mission of 13 Fashion Brands to the International Styl Kabo Exhibition in the Czech Republic.
The operation of the Fashion Incubator was strengthened since 2018 with its collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal in Athens and AICEP – Portuguese Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, supporting the participation of AthensFashionClub School students in the international exhibition Modtissimo in Porto, Portugal, sponsored by Portuguese factories, and in the AXDW Fashion Week.
In January 2023, the 1st Portuguese Fashion Incubator <> was inaugurated under the general management of Maria Vytinidou, with the aim of developing talented designers and fashion companies in the field of Sustainable Fashion and the vision of establishing the Incubator as an international hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and Sustainable practices with a positive footprint on the environment and attracting investment capital from all over Europe.
The designer is an Ambassador in Greece for the European Funding program WORTH, which financially supports Fashion Startups, and organizer of the 1st Startup Weekend Fashion Athens in collaboration with the Global Accelerator Techstars from America.
She was a 3-time member of the jury of AXDW Fashion Week and at the same time contributed as a sponsor of business development awards for talented young creators.
She has participated in the Orange Grove program of the Dutch Embassy in Athens developing an innovative startup with the subject of Wearable Technology and for 2 years she collaborated with them through the educational program << Co-Incubator>> with the subject of business development of young fashion creators with elements of innovation.
She is also an International Trainer for young fashion entrepreneurs at the international exhibition Modtissimo in Portugal, at EtnoModa in Russia and at the European program S4Fashion in the subject of Fashion Entrepreneurship, Sustainability & Innovation.
In September 2018 and 2019, Designer Vytinidou Maria was the only guest of the Ministry of Digital Policy at the 83rd and 84th TIF at the DIGITAL GREECE pavilion for the creation of innovative wearable technology garments and the establishment of The Fashion Gate Incubator.
Her latest innovative business activity is called “The Sustainable Floor”, constituting a “leap” for the era and the Greek fashion industry, as it offers housing, business support and promotion to new fashion brands in Greece and abroad.
Her resume includes dozens of speeches at Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Technology and Fashion conferences, demonstrations of her collections in Wearable Technology and ready-to-wear, special features on Ant1, SKAI, STAR television and the printed press, as well as collaborations with institutions such as the Mad Awards, AXDW, Panorama of Entrepreneurship, Digital Fashion Forum, Athens Science Festival, Innovathens, Fashioning the Law, 4Casting, Bossible, Startup Weekend Volos.
At AXDW she presents two collections curated by herself, the AthensFashionClub school show and her own for the brand “Vytinidou Maria Eco Luxury Brand” with high end fashion garments and an orientation towards Sustainable Fashion.She is also Head Designer at the Brand ‘MadFlax Sustainable Apparel’.
The Designer maintains her Showroom staff in a two-story industrial loft in the center of Athens, George 10, Kanigos Square.
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Benefits for Οrganization
The AthensFashionClub Fashion School strengthened its prestige towards society as a business that contributes positively to addressing social issues, such as strengthening employment and reducing social inequality among released women. It strengthened respect for people, human dignity and the provision of equal opportunities.
Connection with Global Goals
