Empowering Women

To be able to care for their children and run the household some women stop working.
Some work on reduced hours or on a part-time basis. Women find it difficult or are unable to advance in their career or continue their education.
Women may lose out on career opportunities due to family responsibilities with many women 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 greater numbers.

Due to Covid-19 many women have been laid off and were unable to 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 socio-economic changes many times women will be the ones taking the lead in helping their families to 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 important to continue to support and empower women to reach their aspirations.

We believe in empowering women by giving them the financial support they need in difficult times, to enable them to raise their children in a safe and nurturing home environment. The Social Fund caters for the emergency needs of women with children. Women and their children are at the heart of this fund because research shows that single women with children have specific and differing needs to other socioeconomic groups. Funds are generated through donations from the community members; by organising fundraising activities and events; and through social partners and collaborations. The Social Fund is split into 3 main areas of assistance:

This includes unexpected expenses such as higher electricity bills, medication or health care, childcare (when not available through the government scheme), and more. It covers expenses that are either unexpected, or that keep coming in during difficult times, e.g. job loss or illness.

We help women invest in training and education, in order to create a better future for themselves and their kids. We invest in women short-term, so they may improve their long-term prospects. Education and training means getting better jobs to support themselves and their family. It means starting over after being in an abusive relationship. A study by the International Centre for Research on Women confirms “women are more likely to control their own destiny and effect change in their own communities when they have higher levels of education”.

This support comes in the form of assisting the client to acquire furniture and appliances for her new home, helping with the logistics and the expenses involved in transporting such items, and furnishing the home with the basics needed for a decent quality of life.

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, to question and examine the deep rooted cultural attitudes that are woven into local policies and practices, and leave an impact on the lives of women.

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 the caring roles. This leads to the exclusion of most women from political life and leadership roles, amongst others. Through advocacy we hope to empower women who may be excluded to find 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, 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.