The departments of Women, Equality, LGBTI, Families and Social Policy and Business, Industry and Spokesperson have launched the 'Empoderarte' project that seeks to train 180 vulnerable women in artisan trades to improve their professional and social qualifications, the transmission of knowledge for employment and their self-esteem as empowerment tool.

The general directors of Women, María José García, and Consumption and Crafts, Carolina Espinosa, presented this initiative today in Lorca, which has 50,000 euros of financing from the budget of the Department of Women corresponding to funds from the Regional Pact against Violence of Gender. As they explained, the idea is to "offer alternative therapy to women victims of gender violence and encourage their creativity and job placement, either in craft companies or as a formula for self-employment."

The project offers 22 workshops for different artisan trades such as esparto grass, painting, nativity scenes, pottery, floral touch-ups, embroidery or jewelry, among others. They will be taught during this month of October and November in craft centers and artisan houses in a dozen municipalities: Ceutí, Caravaca de la Cruz, Mula, Archena, Cartagena, Lorca, San Javier, Murcia, Torre Pacheco and Molina de Safe. 'Empoderarte' has the collaboration of entities from the Third Sector, from the town halls, as well as from the CAVI, which have worked actively offering these workshops to women.

They will be held in the morning in three hours and with a total duration of 15 hours each. "Enough time for these women to start embroidering, fire enameling for jewelry, papier-mâché, ceramic jewelry or wool toys," said the general directors of Women and Consumption and Crafts.

A total of 22 artisans will be in charge of giving these courses in small groups and with all the Covid protocols, to transmit the knowledge of the trade, the making of artisan products, the exhibition and dissemination of their work, the physical and mental strengthening of women. and even its initiation as autonomous.

For both general directors, this project "is a new resource aimed at promoting the employability of women in vulnerable situations, especially victims of gender violence, throughout the Region of Murcia."

Both agreed that "these artisan workshops are necessary tools for women victims of violence to start a personal project that allows them to be more independent," they considered.