From July 2023 to June 2024, through the Barclays LifeSkills programme, Habitat Japan worked to empower and promote the economic independence of women living in shelters throughout Kanagawa prefecture.
The LifeSkills Programme aims to expand employment opportunities by providing employability skills to those in need. Over the past year, through the LifeSkills programme, Habitat Japan has offered a range of courses on important skills at nine shelters for women including those that are escaping domestic violence, as well as facilities where Habitat Japan has assisted with facility repairs.
Women and children find themselves in such shelters due to a variety of circumstances that necessitate support to become independent, including domestic abuse, mental illness, disability, and poverty. In support of Barclays LifeSkills programme, we conducted a needs survey at each facility and tailored a selection of courses to best meet the needs of and empower the mothers living there. For those without work experience, lacking the skills to find work, or wondering what kind of job they should look for, we offered courses in money management and financial independence, business skills and manners, and career aptitude discovery. In the latter half of the program, we also offered courses to improve computer skills necessary to find employment. Within this time, close to 30 women from across the nine shelters were able to find new jobs.
One participant who attended a career aptitude course is Ms. Sato (alias), a mother of three suffering from mental illness. While she had never worked before, Ms. Sato’s interest in seeking employment grew alongside her children and had recently decided to take up a role at a social services office. Before starting her job, Ms. Sato was anxious and decided to attend the course on career aptitude. During the course, a career consultant used career cards to introduce a variety of occupations to participants and help them discover their own callings in a game format. After the course, Ms. Sato shared “Through the course, I was reaffirmed that my upcoming work at a social services office is a good fit for me.”
Lastly, beyond offering courses, we donated computers to each facility that held computer skills courses for women to share so they may continue polishing their skills and find employment. Although Habitat’s implementation of the LifeSkills programme ended in June, its teachings leave a lasting impact, empowering women to continue to take steps towards employment and self-reliance, improving their children’s lives as well as their own. We would like to express our sincerest thanks to Barclays for their support to upskill and provide employment opportunities to women living in shelters through their LifeSkills programme.
