The gender differences in our country, even today, involve various areas of life, from that related to participation in the decision-making processes to the different levels of education. However, the sector in which the greatest discrepancies are highlighted is the employment sector. Stereotypes regarding family and care commitments are also complicit. Women frequently find themselves inactive, or underemployed, forced to work less time to make room for domestic activities. 

Gender-based violence (in Italy 31.5% of women have suffered physical or sexual violence during their lives) is a dramatic manifestation of the inequalities between men and women significantly anchored to the economic dimension as a form of control (psychological and/or physical).   

To actively counteract this situation, it is necessary to support women in an empowerment process through the design of work orientation courses, structured training courses that allow professional growth in order to improve their employability.  With this in mind, the project aims to create actions in favour of gender equality by working on improving the training of the women involved, on support in the management of family responsibilities and on the design of guidance and support interventions for active job search. 

This project is in addition to operation 4.11.1.G "Male violence against women: from emergency to autonomy" which aims to innovate and strengthen the circuit of services in favour of women coming out of situations of gender violence with the goal of strengthening their autonomy and making them free and independent. The guests of the Houses for Semi-Autonomy are among the main recipients of the actions of this intervention.

The Project is aimed at women living in a situation of fragility: victims of violence, victims of trafficking, under the responsibility of social services (public or third sector), in a situation of loss of personal freedom, migrants. The main objective is to acquire or strengthen knowledge and skills through guidance, training and retraining, to improve employability and the opportunity for access to the world of work, also using extracurricular internships and/or social inclusion, with an approach focused on individual needs. 

Female empowerment, as a process through which women acquire greater power and control over their lives, is the key to regaining their autonomy and independence, and contributes to strengthening self-esteem, increasing skills and helping personal and professional growth. 

The project includes:

1. analysis and research on the development of the territorial production system in the city of Rome with a medium-long term effect in order to identify the productive sectors of development with related employment effects;
2. analysis of training and professional needs for the design of individual paths to support the empowerment process. 
3. promotion of the project with local companies: 
4. training courses on digital skills, languages, financial education, self-employment, etc. (with the possible use of market acquisition) and activation of courses and/or Vouchers for individual training courses that emerged from the orientation phase. 
5. curricular internships as part of vocational training courses;
6. facilitating meetings with companies that offer job opportunities; 
7. integrated paths of self-entrepreneurship and self-employment, through coaching and support for start-ups;
8. collaboration with business incubators in the city. 
9. public events to provide the project results to the stakeholder network and the public. 

The project ensures the active involvement of Third Sector entities, through forms of co-programming and co-design and accreditation.