The involvement of municipalities helps not only to finance participants’ scholarships but also to reach women living in regions, for whom learning, professional development, and individual support opportunities are often harder to access.
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Municipalities of Druskininkai, Utena district, Tauragė district, Alytus city, Jurbarkas, Kaišiadorys, Biržai, Zarasai district, and Trakai district have already joined the project. Some of them contribute by financing women’s scholarships, others by helping information about the program reach local communities and inviting women from their regions to join the initiative.
“Many single mothers, mothers of multiple children, or those raising children with disabilities living in regions often feel isolated from the opportunities of big cities and face a double challenge – financial pressure and stereotypes. However, thanks to the project format, geographical boundaries disappear – all lectures, practical workshops, and individual consultations with mentors take place remotely. The most important thing is that the women themselves dare to take the first step and believe that they can create a safer and more sustainable future for themselves,” says Inga Putna, founder of WoW University and project initiator.
When help reaches the mother, the whole family feels the change
The decision of municipalities to get involved in the project also shows a changing attitude towards social assistance. Increasingly, the discussion is not only about help in solving today’s difficulties but also about investing in a person’s ability to independently create a more stable life in the future.
The Utena district municipality allocates up to ten scholarships for the project and emphasizes that the economic, social, and psychological difficulties experienced by single mothers inevitably affect the well-being of children. Therefore, the opportunity for a woman to strengthen emotionally, discover her abilities, and feel more confident in the labor market gradually creates change not only in her own life.
Druskininkai similarly values the meaning of the initiative.
“Our community has many talented, strong, and creative women – sometimes they just need encouragement and the opportunity to take the first step. The ‘1000 Women’ project provides knowledge, self-confidence, and the feeling that they are not alone on this path. When a person opens up to more opportunities, it is important for the whole community, so we sincerely support this project and are happy to contribute to it,” says Simonas Kazakevičius, deputy mayor of Druskininkai municipality.
It is precisely long-term independence, not one-time assistance, that the Tauragė district municipality emphasizes. According to its representatives, new knowledge and professional skills can be a push to return to the labor market or seek a new professional direction, but the mentorship provided in the program – the opportunity to receive support and guidance when a woman begins to create change herself – is no less significant.
In regions, the practical accessibility of the program is also important. The entire six-month program takes place remotely, so participants do not need to regularly travel to another city, look for additional childcare, or choose between learning and family commitments. Tauragė municipality identifies this flexibility as one of the most important conditions allowing mothers living in smaller towns to participate in the program.
Municipalities see not only the economic side of the project
The municipalities that have joined also talk about another, harder to measure by numbers, impact of the project – a woman’s emotional state, self-confidence, and the opportunity to feel active again as part of society and the labor market.
“Every resident of Alytus is very important to us, so we want single, unemployed mothers not to feel forgotten or without support. I believe this project can not only help to recover psychologically, help gain more confidence, but also encourage returning to the labor market. We want to contribute so that as many young residents of Alytus as possible see their mothers smiling, happy, and self-fulfilling, which is why we joined this project,” says Nerijus Cesiulis, mayor of Alytus city.
The project organizers hope that the example of the first municipalities will encourage more cities and districts to join. The wider the network of local partners, the more opportunities to reach women who might not learn about the program through national communication channels or dare to think that such an opportunity is meant for them.
150 euros can finance one woman’s six-month program
To reach the set goal of 1000 women this year, not only municipalities but also business companies, organizations, and private sponsors are invited to join the initiative.
The scholarship for one woman’s six months of training, emotional strengthening, and individual mentorship amounts to 150 euros.
Program participants strengthen emotional resilience, financial and technological literacy, acquire practical professional competencies, and work individually with mentors. The project’s aim is not to provide short-term help but knowledge and tools that will allow women to return more confidently to the labor market, find a new professional direction, or pursue greater financial independence.
Registration for the second season of the “1000 Women Project” is already underway. Single mothers, mothers of multiple children, those raising children with disabilities, and mothers facing other social challenges from all over Lithuania are invited to participate.
More information about the program, registration, and ways to contribute can be found here.
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