Empowering Women Against Covid-19 (EWAC)

The Coronavirus pandemic has had an immense impact on the world of work, including the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF) industries. Quarantine measures, closure of retail stores, illness, and salary reductions have suppressed consumer demand. At the same time, this highly globalized sector is struggling with severe supply-side disruption; as workers are told to stay at home, supply chains grind to a halt and factories close. Women in Albania’s apparel and footwear (fason) sector are among the hardest hit by the economic woes associated with the Covid-19 health crisis. In spite of the Government’s programmes to support workers and enterprises across the country, administrative, behavioural, and other constraints have pushed many women and their households on the verge of poverty and desperation. According to a report by the Gender Alliance for Development Center, three groups of women in the ‘fason’ sector are in need of immediate support to withstand the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in the sector: (i) women who were laid-off or dismissed from factories due lockdown and/or disrupted supply chains; (ii) women who are still working in factories but in unsafe conditions; (iii) women who are burdened with additional family responsibilities and are therefore unable to work and sustain their families. The project supports women to access quick-fix solutions to the financial and economic hardship that they face. At the same time, seeking a sustainable solution to secure livelihoods and jobs during a time of crisis, it prepares the ground for a short-term return to work under safer and improved health and safety conditions. The intervention takes into consideration the specific barriers that these women face. Furthermore, in light of the expected recurrence of the health crisis for the forthcoming months, the project supports concrete actions to enhance business continuity and the productivity of jobs in the industry. Leveraging the importance of tripartism in the World of Work, the project will be implemented in close collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations and other labour market institutions, including the National Agency for Employment and Skills (NAES). These actions aim to reduce the vulnerability of women to the ongoing and forthcoming shocks. The project is expected to have an impact on economic recovery and job protection efforts in response to the crisis. It is part of the UN Albania “COVID-19 Socio-Economic Recovery & Response Plan (SERP)” (15 July, 2020), which has been consulted with and submitted to the Government of Albania.

Project symbol

ALB/20/02/SWE

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Budapest

Start date

09/10/2020

End date

30/04/2021

Total allocation

565797

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

561682

Development Partners

Sweden, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Country/Countries

Albania

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all