Arriving in a new country is rarely straightforward, but for many migrant women in Stockholm, it can mean isolation, uncertainty, and navigating unfamiliar systems. Stockholm’s Neighbourhood Mothers initiative is changing that. Coordinator Ann-Kristin Rydén and International Affairs Officer Annika Rosbring explain how the project is opening doors to employment, education, healthcare and social services for newly arrived women in the city. Starting from scratch in Stockholm Arriving in Sweden as a newcomer brings a particular set of challenges. “Imagine if someone arrives during winter. It’s dark, it’s cold, and people in the city tend to stay home instead of going out,” says Annika. “It can be a very isolating experience. It’s not easy to navigate society.” For women who don’t yet speak the language, that isolation can quickly deepen into something more entrenched, cutting them off from the services, opportunities and connections that could help them find their footing. Stockholm’s Neighbourhood Mothers initiative was designed to reach these women. To do so, the city is employing women with their own migration background to do outreach work in their local neighbourhoods, using their language skills and lived experience to build the kind of trust that formal public-sector contact often cannot. Before going out into their communities, neighbourhood mothers receive training covering public institutions, Swedish working life, healthcare, social services, democracy, gender equality and domestic violence, equipping them to guide others through the same systems they once had to navigate alone. Since 2018, the City of Stockholm has employed 98 neighbourhood mothers across different city districts, collectively reaching around 3,000 women every year. The results go well beyond information-sharing. Through outreach work and group activities, women have broken out of social isolation, strengthened their sense of agency, and taken concrete steps towards employment, education and greater participation in society. Opening doors, changing