ICH Lund's 10th Anniversary

Last week I had the privilege of attending the International Citizen Hub Lund’s celebrations of a decade of creating impact in the city, and I can definitely count myself as one of the internationals who have benefitted from their support.

What I most appreciated was hearing the experience a female partner who had accompanied her spouse to share her story on one of the panels. Cynthia Sradaputta talked about her journey of returning to focus on her career after the rest of her family had begun to settle here.

I know from my work that even in the best of circumstances, navigating transitions can sometimes test the confidence of even the most accomplished of women.

But as an international there are the added layers of complexity that can impact her confidence: whether she is transitioning from education to her first or second career in a new country, returning to work after a career break to start or grow her family (and I imagine that many internationals choose to relocate when their children are still young), or having to settle for ‘less than’, even though she might be highly qualified and well-established in her profession back home.

In their report ICHL specifically highlight the support that this demographic might need to settle into their careers in Sweden, which I believe is invaluable because in my experience, women often believe that they themselves are not doing enough, and forgetting that the systemic support and structures are equally important.

I am excited to hear that ICHL are expanding their work over the next few years. Wishing the team every success!