The stories of women who remain unemployed are different but it is interesting what happens next, how do they deal and do they continue to struggle to make their dreams come true and to show their talents in the field which they consider will bring happiness and enough money for a good life and small pleasures. Three women shared with grreporter.info their disappointments, but wishes for the future too.
Women are among the groups most at risk of impoverishment in Greece as recent data from Eurobarometer revealed. The rate of unemployment is 8% higher than the men’s rate and the country holds one of the first places in Europe with such a large difference between the sexes.
I'm not ready to compromise!
Vasso is 36 years old and currently she is taking care of her cousin’s tavern on the island of Ithaca. After being left jobless in October, the proposal of her cousin comes just in time to get away from the city and close to the sea for a while. This is her psychotherapy to recover and then when she gets back to the big city to search job in the field she believes she is good - sales.
"I worked almost 12 years in the sales department of one of the largest companies in Greece for office and other equipment. Working conditions have changed radically during the past year. Managers became very uncompromising while there was a dialogue before – the managers discussed working issues with us. But there was a lot of tension the last year. Not because of the work itself because we had always been working under pressure but because of the attitude ‘you do this or you are out’. There was great pressure in the last three months and it did not affect me that I was told to leave. I got my redundancy payment and registered at the employment office. Although I am from Athens I have some costs such as the apartment rent that I will cover with social benefits at first. The hardest thing is that I can not find any normal job. Although I decided to seriously begin looking for job in January I search the job offers on the internet every day but there are no serious offers. There are four job offers in the sales field but they are not worth sending my CV. I'm neither ready to compromise at the moment, nor to work for minimum wage of 560 euros they pay young people at the age of 24. Large companies are not interested in experience – they dismissed employees of higher salaries because they can appoint two young people on my position and make them do whatever they want. My ambition is to find job in sales – I do not know whether I will sell inks or computers, but ... "
I opened a shop for the things I make to feel happy
Nelly is from Thessaloniki and is the mother of 4-year-old boy. She has graduated children's education, but has been engaged in applied arts for years. She makes small jewelry, paints wonderful canvases with oil paints, makes small ornaments and besides the small shop on a quiet street near the coastal boulevard in Thessaloniki she takes care of her virtual "secret garden".
"I opened the store in May. I finally got the courage to open my own shop because I applied for the OAED programs to support businesses launched by women. I would not dare starting a business at this time if it wasn’t for the subsidy. You have to be a bit crazy to do something like that. Fortunately, I received the first installment and it is easier for me to start, without panicking a lot. Only objects, women jewelry, drawings, paintings and posters that I made myself are exhibited in the shop. I do not intend to sell things that I have to buy from wholesalers or suppliers. My ambition is the people to start to recognize my stuff and look for them. The shop is my property and I made it as I always dreamed to make it. Me and my husband made the repair, we put the furniture that I like, I made the interior design because I wanted my signature in the place. The grant is 24,000 euros payable in installments for three years and I plan to invest in equipment to begin – to bye copying machine, scanner because I need them but I want to have my own lab so that I do not have to use external collaborators and be independent in this regard. I worked in a kindergarten for a year and a half and we had arts classes with the kids before opening the shop. My contract with the kindergarten expired and I could not find a job elsewhere. So, I decided to do something alone. Now it is still difficult, but I am patient and I think things will be all right. It is too early and hard still but every beginning is difficult. I made this shop or gallery because it makes me happy and I want to make people around me also feel happy. I offer warm coffee and good music to make the people relax and feel good."
I'm on my way to Germany
Aleka is 34 years old and is from Athens
"I stopped working two years ago because there were layoffs in the company where I worked. This was a company for aluminum frames and I worked in the office for five years. The company went bankrupt shortly after my layoff. In the beginning, when I got out of work, I wanted to relax and I didn’t search for a job one year. Meanwhile I got married and I wanted to do our house, furnish it and start my life with my husband, who works at a company for software products. Then we ran out of savings and I started looking for job but when I went to the interview they asked me whether I am married and then whether we plan to have kids. I had to lie several times that I do not want children because I will not have chances to find a job. Now we are considering with my husband to go to Germany for a number of reasons and because we believe we will have better chances there."
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