Two more stories capable of inspiring other women.

When women thrive, everyone prospers. 

K.’s Story: Motherhood, Work, and Perseverance 

K., a 37-year-old woman with a baby under one year old, reached out to the SolidarityNow Employment Service in June 2025 seeking work. Although she had many years of experience in administrative roles in her home country, she was looking for a job in cleaning or in a factory, since her options were limited due to her lack of Greek language skills and the absence of language courses.

During the career counseling sessions, K. and her employment counsellors explored the local job market together but quickly faced the multiple barriers a mother without a support network encounters.

The few available childcare options for infants, the limited number of part-time positions and intense competition for them, as well as the lack of financial support or other forms of assistance for unemployed mothers, let alone mothers with uncertain legal status, create an extremely challenging environment. As an asylum seeker, K. experienced these challenges acutely. 

A short time later, through an acquaintance, she found seasonal work at an industrial laundry. However, the working conditions were exhausting, intense workloads, undeclared overtime exceeding legal limits, and poor treatment from the employer.

When she became unemployed again, she turned to the Employment Service, joined the “Livelihoods Unlocked: Pathways to Employment for Refugee, Migrant and Roma Women”* project, and through it found a job in a manufacturing company. There, she was the only woman working in production. For the first time, she found a position where the employment contract accurately reflected the actual working conditions and provided the stability she had been seeking. Yet, the male-dominated workplace made it difficult for K. to remain for long.

Her employment ended prematurely when she had to be absent due to her child’s hospitalization. Despite timely notification and submission of the necessary documentation, she was dismissed.

At the same time, her husband’s asylum appeal was rejected, further increasing the financial pressure. As the only family member legally allowed to work in the country and with responsibility for a child without access to healthcare or social services, K. experienced significant anxiety and insecurity.

Despite these challenges, she continued her job search. Today, she works in the food industry with a stable morning schedule, which has allowed her to regain a sense of control over her life. However, her husband’s legal status remains uncertain, and she continues to carry the full weight of her family’s financial and domestic responsibilities.

K.’s journey reminds us that International Women’s Day is about the meaningful recognition of the daily, often invisible effort of women who struggle to balance work, survival, and family care within a context of limited support.

It is a day that reminds us that equality is not guaranteed, but the result of continuous collective effort.

A day that calls on us not only to honor the resilience and strength of women but also to actively strengthen the structures and policies that allow them to work safely and with dignity.

*The “Livelihoods Unlocked” project is supported by the L’Oréal Fund for Women.

N.S.’s Story: A Step Toward Independence

N.S. is the mother of a young child, a student at an evening vocational high school (EPAL), and a survivor of domestic violence.

For her, finding a job was not simply a professional step; it was a personal need. She wanted to be able to leave an environment that was no longer safe with her child and stand on her own feet, building a new life for the two of them.

She visited the Athens Solidarity Center and joined the women’s employment integration program “Bridging the Gap.”*

She was consistent in her meetings with the employment counselor, showing faith and determination. Sometimes she attended the sessions alone, and other times with her young child. Despite the difficulties, she never stopped trying or believing that she could build a better future.

And eventually, that moment came.

Through the Employment Service’s network of companies and following a successful job matching process, N.S. found a job in a field she loves: jewelry making. An employer stood by her with understanding and respect, accepting the reduced working hours she requested, even though the position was originally intended as full-time.

Today, N.S. is working, continuing her studies, and raising her child with dignity and strength.

Her story proves, once again, that when a woman is given even a single opportunity, she can turn it into a vehicle for a better tomorrow.

N.S. is a true fighter and her victory deserves to be heard.

*”Bridging the Gap” is implemented with the support of Alpha Bank.