Promoting the employability of vulnerable groups is key to achieving their psychological and social well-being
In the case of women victims of gender violence, it is also an opportunity to start over after a traumatic life experience. Thanks to work they can achieve economic independence , but also gain self – confidence , build a support network and rebuild their self – esteem . On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that is celebrated every year on November 25, we look at the job opportunities that Clece offers to women who have been victims of gender violence and what effect they have on their lives .
Start over
Gender violence is associated with economic and affective dependence, a deterioration in physical and psychological health, lack of self-esteem, inability to make decisions or underestimation of one’s own abilities, among others. Women who have been victims of this scourge need to completely rebuild their lives and work is a key tool in this regard. This is how Marta Domínguez , a psychologist from Clece’s customer service team, explains it: “These women carry a lot of insecurity due to the experience they have lived through.
They need people who trust them”. At Clece they are given the opportunity to be part of a team, which helps them to increase their sense of self-efficacy, to see themselves as capable of playing a role and to receive emotional and instrumental support. It is not so much about the job itself – there are positions in cleaning, in administration, in social and health care, etc. -, but to cover basic needs to start building something positive and healthy from there. “Recovery is seen when, for example, they choose to improve their working conditions, but also when they slowly introduce leisure into their lives, create a support network and, from there, emotional stability that allows them to be calm and enjoy your free time.”
Comprehensive monitoring of these women is an essential part of Clece’s social project that began in 2012. According to Laura Cantero, the company’s social delegate in the northwest area , giving people who are in a situation of vulnerability an opportunity not only not only helps that person, but enriches all Clece members. “It’s an opportunity to live with dignity and that positivity spreads to colleagues and bosses,” she explains. In addition, those who tell their experience contribute to make visible and encourage other women in this situation to denounce , for example”.
Monitoring and awareness
Through the non-profit association Corazón y Manos created by Clece workers, and by the colleagues themselves, monitoring is carried out that allows, for example, detecting possible obstacles in conciliation and offering solutions in this regard, such as flexibility schedule, shift changes or camps for minors when there are school holidays. And it is that the work easily transfers to the personalin these cases, so having support tools is essential to provide that comprehensive accompaniment and create a fabric that really helps. Bureaucratic accompaniment, help to access housing, legal advice or processing of social bonds are just some of the referrals that are proposed if necessary. “We are very aware of them – adds Cantero -. They are women who, probably, have often felt alone”.
There is hope, there is a way out
One of the women victims of gender violence who is part of the Clece staff is Cecilia (fictitious name). After going through a very hard experience on a personal level, she also found herself without the economic capacity to start over. She found refuge in a shelter where, through the director, she obtained a job in Clece that allowed her to rent a room on her own. She feels tremendously grateful for the job opportunityand highlights the generosity of their managers and colleagues. “I arrived with nothing, I didn’t even have clothes. They immediately took care of me: they made a large collection to be able to give me everything I needed – he remembers -. There is a lot of camaraderie: not everyone knows my past, but they always give me a hand”. In just six months she already feels that she has improved a lot on a personal level: ” I hope more women have this luck – she wishes -. There is a way out . “
