This story is one of hundreds behind the first-ever impact study of the social initiative “1000 Women Project” conducted by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). Before the start of the second season of the initiative, researchers assessed the changes experienced by the participants of the first program over six months.
Read more „CK Hutchison“ demands more than 1.5 billion USD for taking over ports from Panama
This year, the “1000 Women Project” begins its second season: the initiators dream of achieving an ambitious goal – to help 1,000 women across Lithuania. This will require even greater involvement from businesses, municipalities, and society – the number of women who can join the program depends on this.
The real change measured for the first time
Researchers from the Faculty of Economics and Business at KTU evaluated for the first time the impact of this type of mentoring and learning program on mothers facing social challenges. The study was conducted twice – at the beginning and at the end of the project, allowing a comparison of real changes that occurred over six months.
First, women’s self-confidence and emotional resilience changed. Their behavior in the labor market also changed. At the end of the program, nearly two out of three women considered themselves psychologically resilient, whereas at the start only four out of ten felt this way. Two out of three participants strengthened their self-confidence, almost three out of four improved their job search skills, and nearly one in five found employment during the project.
The study also showed that nearly half of the participants began actively looking for work, more than half changed their attitude towards their career opportunities, and more than six out of ten strengthened their belief that they can be successful in the labor market.
According to Živilė Stankevičiūtė, professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at KTU, the most important conclusion of the study is that long-term results are created by consistent work with the individual.
“Our study showed that when a woman becomes emotionally stronger and regains self-confidence, she gains more courage to look for a job, accept changes, and create a different professional future. That is why programs of this kind are important for the women themselves – they create value both for the labor market and society,” says the professor.
When a woman begins to see her opportunities again
Inga Putna (Jablonskė), founder of “WoW University” and project initiator, says that the most important part of the study for her is not the numbers, but what they mean for the individual women.
“In the first year, we saw many women who came to the project tired, disappointed in themselves, having lived for a long time by the motto ‘children first, everything else later.’ Often, they no longer even asked themselves what they wanted. So, for me, the strongest thing today is not how many completed the training, but how many began to see themselves again as people who can choose, learn, work, and change direction. When a woman begins to see her opportunities again, concrete decisions follow,” says I. Putna.
According to her, that is why in the second season the project will continue to focus on long-term impact rather than short-term assistance.
Read more Officers found over a thousand euros in the man’s sock
“We do not want to tell a woman what she must do. We want her to clearly know after six months what she wants and what she can do. For one, it will be a new job; for another, a career change; for a third, the courage to ask for a higher salary or start her own business. The most important thing is that she makes the decision from a stronger position, not from fear or hopelessness,” says the project initiator.
A dream from 500 to 1000 women
Last year, 500 mothers facing social challenges – single, with many children, with disabilities, or raising children with disabilities – joined the initiative, along with the same number of mentors from business, the public sector, and various professional fields. This year, the “1000 Women Project” begins its second season and aims to provide growth opportunities for 1,000 women across Lithuania.
During the six-month program, participants take part free of charge in online lectures, career orientation workshops, work with mentors, and become part of a supportive community. The program includes strengthening emotional resilience, financial literacy, career planning, and professional skills development, helping women to return to the labor market more confidently or achieve greater financial independence.
The need for this initiative is also shown by the broader context. More than 60% of single mothers in Lithuania live in constant financial stress, and many are still hindered from returning to work by practical and financial challenges, lost self-confidence, and deeply rooted societal stereotypes.
According to I. Putna (Jablonskė), when talking about helping mothers, we often forget that change is not limited to one person.
“When a mother begins to trust herself more, becomes emotionally stronger, and starts to see her opportunities again, not only her life changes. She becomes calmer, more self-confident, which creates a safer and warmer environment for her children. An emotionally strong mother is the best example for a child – her emotional well-being helps the child grow in self-confidence, emotional security, and overall development. Therefore, by helping one mother, we are actually helping many more people – her children, family, and the entire community,” says I. Putna.
According to her, the future of the project directly depends on the involvement of society and business.
“Last year, we received more than 1,200 applications, but due to financial constraints, we could only accept 500 mothers. This year, we want to help 1,000 women, but we can only do so as much as we raise support together with society and business. The scholarship for one mother’s participation in the program costs 150 euros. Sometimes it seems that five euros won’t change anything, but if 30 people donate that amount, one mother will get the opportunity to participate in the program. And together – to change the direction of her and her children’s lives. I believe that big changes are born from such seemingly small decisions,” says I. Putna.
Read more Five fighters signed long-term contracts with UTMA
Registration for the second season of the “1000 Women Project” has already begun.
