...how women from all over the world can feel so connected? (The creation of Women of the World)

I founded an international woman's group after a few years in Germany. Well, it was more like 6 years after I moved here, so in 2018. I guess I had struggled enough and wanted a break from being a mom and not knowing so much German and not finding my place in the society and realized that I could just become the change that I needed when I moved here, which was a community. I had not heard of IWG or any other international women's groups nor did I know that there was any to be found. So I created Women of the World. It was also in that same realization that I decided that I wanted to also focus my career to international women. It felt right and light and a little bit scary, so I knew that I was on the right track. I decided that I would just keep going no matter what and in my head it just had to logically work out.

In the beginning I was often alone, sitting at a restaurant hoping that someone would have seen my post online and would randomly come by. Sometimes I asked some international friends if they wanted to join. We had great conversations and heart filled laughters but I had no Idea what would happen a few years later.

When Covid-19 hit us I tried to do our meetings online, but that was not successful. I would have given up if it weren't for that decision I made that this is right and I will just not give up.

I think it was in 2022 when everything took a turn. I don't know how it happened but we went from being 7-8 people to over 20 in 2 months. and then it just went on from there. Now Women of the World has over 50 women where 30 are regulars. in 2024 we had a solid core of around 20 wonderful Women from all around the World.

It is overwhelming to think that we have women from all over the world sitting next to each other and being empathic and spreading love and joy while the society is doing it's best to try to separate us by creating fear and distance between us. Of course there are sometimes conversations about tough topics but I think that it's important to not be afraid to offer a table (literally!) where we can come together and meet to close the gap between us and realize that we are all connected.

We are all sharing similar fears and dreams and no one can defeat us if we see and treat each other as Sisters of the World.

Sara Thulin