Empowering Women

To be able to care for their children and run the household, some women stop working.
Some work on reduced hours or a part-time basis. Women find it difficult or are unable to advance in their careers or continue their education.
Women may lose out on career opportunities due to family responsibilities, with many never reaching their full potential.
Inequality in the relationship, domestic abuse, or having to provide for their children alone leads women to fall into poverty in more significant numbers.

Due to Covid-19, many women were laid off and could not work since their children were out of school or had no childcare for many months. Others were also unable to go to work for health reasons.
International studies show that when there are global socioeconomic changes, women will often take the lead in helping their families adjust to the new challenges and realities faced, often at great personal expense.
We are seeing this unfold now that the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is waning, but the cost of living has shot up, making it even more critical to continue to support and empower women to reach their aspirations.

Advocacy, through awareness-raising initiatives, educational campaigns and empowerment, is an integral part of what we do.
Advocacy is our opportunity to challenge the status quo, question and examine the deep-rooted cultural attitudes woven into local policies and practices, and leave an impact on women’s lives.

In Malta, long-standing social norms still influence all aspects of our lives, such as the gender division of labour, which places women firmly in caring roles. This leads to the exclusion of most women from political life and leadership roles, amongst others. Through advocacy, we aim to empower women who may be excluded from finding the skills and confidence to participate effectively in decision-making processes. For example, in 2016, through advocacy and lobbying, the Women for Women Facebook community, together with the Women’s Rights Foundation and other NGOs, was instrumental in securing the availability of Emergency Contraception for women in Malta.

As a foundation and community, the Women for Women Foundation is all about support – coming together to provide support to each other. This support can take many forms, such as simply providing a non-judgmental listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. We also strive to support women in any way they need through their struggles, such as:
• Guiding them towards the appropriate community services
• Helping with household budgeting challenges
• Helping with childcare challenges
• Helping with education challenges
• Providing emergency food packages and other essentials
• Funding or organising workshops and classes
•  Support in finding a job – helping with CV writing, interview skills, and more
•  Helping to access therapy

We offer a mentoring programme for women who are deeply invested in their self-development, are determined to change their life circumstances and/or need support reaching an ambitious goal.