Training for Women: A Step Toward Economic Independence
08/07/2025
From June 25 to 27, women from the Liubymivka, Obukhiv, Kamianske and Shyroke communities in the Dnipropetrovsk region came together to take an important step toward economic independence. The participants underwent a three-day training course dedicated to developing business and career skills, as well as finding new ways for professional and personal fulfilment. The event was organised by the Charitable Foundation "Angels of Salvation" in partnership with the international organisation HIAS, with funding from UHF.
The main goal of the training was to show that starting your own business or changing your career path is possible, even in the most difficult circumstances. The programme covered topics such as financial independence, overcoming barriers to employment, developing business ideas, women's legal rights in the labour market, and finding motivation to take action.
Over the course of three days, participants:
“For me, this women’s training was a breath of fresh air — in every sense,” said Ms. Anna. “I gained a wealth of useful, structured knowledge that inspired me to stop putting off my dreams and start acting now. Special thanks to our trainers for their openness and real-life stories. I’d love to return to such empowering spaces again and again.”
It was specifically designed for women with internally displaced status — whose integration into new communities is especially vital during the ongoing full-scale war. As our experts note, this not only promotes the social adaptation and psychological recovery of families who have been forced to move, but also strengthen local economies and promote gender equality, reducing risks of gender-based violence and exploitation.
The participants left with clear action plans, inspiration and an understanding of their rights and opportunities. For many of them, this training was the first step in a new professional direction.
Statistics confirm the relevance of such initiatives.
According to the study ‘Registered Unemployment in Ukraine’ conducted by the State Employment Service in cooperation with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in 2025, women account for 82% of all registered unemployed. Among them are mainly women aged 36–54 with higher or vocational education. The reasons for unemployment include low wages, lack of opportunities for retraining and gender inequality. A large proportion of the registered unemployed are internally displaced persons (24%), who face additional housing, social and emotional challenges.
In this context, training courses focusing on the development of start-up and career skills become not only a tool for economic independence, but also a means of restoring self-confidence, self-esteem and the ability to influence one's own future.
Charitable Foundation "Angels of Salvation" systematically supports gender equality and helps internally displaced persons adapt to their new communities. The foundation has adopted a 50/50 gender representation policy, and approximately three times more women than men currently hold management positions. In addition, 15% of the Foundations employees are internally displaced persons, which is a testament to their professional potential and the desire to integrate people into their new environment.
"Displaced families represent a large pool of skilled and motivated professionals. Many of them have higher education, professional skills and experience. Their integration into the local economy not only provides financial stability for them, but also contributes to the development of host communities. For women and their children, this is a chance to rebuild their lives and secure a better future," emphasises the Head of the Foundation's, Dmytro Myshenin.
The main goal of the training was to show that starting your own business or changing your career path is possible, even in the most difficult circumstances. The programme covered topics such as financial independence, overcoming barriers to employment, developing business ideas, women's legal rights in the labour market, and finding motivation to take action.
Over the course of three days, participants:
- developed their own business ideas and drafted startup business plans
- worked on improving their CVs and prepared for job interviews;
- analyzed real-life career development cases;
- learned about legal tools to combat gender pay inequality
“For me, this women’s training was a breath of fresh air — in every sense,” said Ms. Anna. “I gained a wealth of useful, structured knowledge that inspired me to stop putting off my dreams and start acting now. Special thanks to our trainers for their openness and real-life stories. I’d love to return to such empowering spaces again and again.”
It was specifically designed for women with internally displaced status — whose integration into new communities is especially vital during the ongoing full-scale war. As our experts note, this not only promotes the social adaptation and psychological recovery of families who have been forced to move, but also strengthen local economies and promote gender equality, reducing risks of gender-based violence and exploitation.
The participants left with clear action plans, inspiration and an understanding of their rights and opportunities. For many of them, this training was the first step in a new professional direction.
Statistics confirm the relevance of such initiatives.
According to the study ‘Registered Unemployment in Ukraine’ conducted by the State Employment Service in cooperation with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in 2025, women account for 82% of all registered unemployed. Among them are mainly women aged 36–54 with higher or vocational education. The reasons for unemployment include low wages, lack of opportunities for retraining and gender inequality. A large proportion of the registered unemployed are internally displaced persons (24%), who face additional housing, social and emotional challenges.
In this context, training courses focusing on the development of start-up and career skills become not only a tool for economic independence, but also a means of restoring self-confidence, self-esteem and the ability to influence one's own future.
Charitable Foundation "Angels of Salvation" systematically supports gender equality and helps internally displaced persons adapt to their new communities. The foundation has adopted a 50/50 gender representation policy, and approximately three times more women than men currently hold management positions. In addition, 15% of the Foundations employees are internally displaced persons, which is a testament to their professional potential and the desire to integrate people into their new environment.
"Displaced families represent a large pool of skilled and motivated professionals. Many of them have higher education, professional skills and experience. Their integration into the local economy not only provides financial stability for them, but also contributes to the development of host communities. For women and their children, this is a chance to rebuild their lives and secure a better future," emphasises the Head of the Foundation's, Dmytro Myshenin.
