This is certainly not the phrase a career counselor wants to hear, because it usually means that the person speaking is seeking work under vulnerable conditions, shaped by personal or social challenges.

At the Employment Service of the Athens Solidarity Center by SolidarityNow, we have also seen that when the job seeker is a woman, she often faces an even more complex maze of obstacles:

• She carries the full burden of family care and is rarely given the chance to step outside of it.
• She returns to the labor market after giving birth and is met with suspicion.
• She experiences pay disparities compared to her male colleagues.
• She faces rigid working hours, rotating shifts, or jobs in remote areas.
• She lacks a support network or someone to look after her children.
• She is not always between 18–30 years old.
• She may not possess basic digital skills or knowledge of foreign languages.
• She may never have been taught to speak about herself or has learned to stay silent.

And on top of these, there are institutional barriers: bureaucratic procedures not designed for people in vulnerable situations. Services without interpreters. Employers who hesitate in front of what’s “different.” A lack of flexibility for single mothers with unique scheduling needs.

When all these factors combine, choices become limited.

Many women are left with only occasional, low-paying, or uninsured jobs and not because they lack potential, but because they are never given the opportunity to show it.

This was the reality for A., a 60-year-old woman, and N., a survivor of human trafficking, both of whom receive support from our employment service.

1. knew her age could be a barrier in the job market, so she worked closely with her career counselor to address this. Through the process, she became empowered and now presents her skills honestly and confidently in every interview. And she gets hired.

N., despite not speaking Greek, managed to find a job with long-term prospects. Admirable and resilient, she has an innate strength that steadily guides her toward what she deserves: a dignified future for herself and her daughter.

It is never “just a job.” It is the right to have options. The right to grow. The right to be seen not as vulnerable, but as capable.

And this is why we are here.

This article features beneficiaries of the “Bridging the Gap” program, implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of Alpha Bank.