Type of organisation (legal status, main areas and type of activity)

Menntasmi?jan ? Akureyri is still run by the municipal authorities in Akureyri, but will become an NGO in June 2000. It was originally a school for unemployed women, established in 1994 by the equal opportunities and education consultant of Akureyri. The last two years it has developed to become a centre for informal adult learning, open to both genders, but the gender perspective still being very clear. There are programs for women only and men only, as well as mixed ones. The main emphasis is on life-competence, or mobility training, as opposed to formal vocational competence.

Size of organisation, in terms of the total number of personnel (use full-time equivalents)

At the moment there are four full time professional project managers and teachers, including the Lady in Charge/director. In addition there are two assistants in full time positions. For the many different seminars and work-shops there are six to eight part time teachers forming a team for developing models for women’s learning, as well as around 50 other part time teachers, who teach off and on.

Evidence of experience of the organisation of the women’s employment issues and experience in international co-operation

As mentioned above Menntasmi?jan ? Akureyri started as a school for unemployed women. It is based on the Scandinavian Day-folk-high-school model, but developed according to the situation in Akureyri, a town of 17.000 inhab. in the north of Iceland. It has been the only one of its kind in the country, but is now working on spreading the model across the country. From the beginning the school has included women who are without work for different reasons, some formally unemployed, others not registered as such (housewifes, physically disabled women etc.). Menntasmi?jan ? Akureyri and its staff has taken part in many international and national projects on women’s education and employment issues. V.H. Bjarnadóttir has been active in this work for over 15 years. She has also (with Karól?na Stef?nsdóttir) developed a model for women’s self-empowerment, which has been used throughout Iceland and abroad.

International projects