About

From Paris to Amsterdam to Tirana, WOMEN OF EUROPE travels the continent to listen to the personal stories of ordinary women living in the capitals of Europe. Find out what their lives are really like and discover their power, their wisdom, their struggles and their dreams. Through these stories WOMEN OF EUROPE wants to inform, inspire and empower others.

Mariska Vermeulen, an experienced journalist, first started this project out of curiosity. An enthusiastic traveller and a resident of Amsterdam, she always wondered what the lives of other European women would be like. She decided to visit every capital city of Europe to find out. By asking women of all ages questions that invite reflection, she encourages them to share their honest life stories.

Mariska: “During my travels across Europe I discovered how enlightening and inspiring those deep conversations with locals can be. Their stories shed light on the struggles women in Europe face in their daily lives, and how resilient they are in handling them. During many encounters all kinds of intercultural differences emerged, but touching similarities between women as well – which makes this project even more intersting and personal to me.”

These stories offer us a chance to learn from each other’s mistakes, get inspired by each other’s life lessons and feel empowered by each other’s strength.