Offering professional training with specialized mentoring and market notions integrated with socio-emotional reality is the path that the Instituto da Providência adopted to help women transform their reality through entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneurial Woman Power project offers professional training courses in the gastronomy, fashion and beauty sectors for women in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro.
Opportunity
Professional training in fashion saved Cristina Gomes’ family from a difficult financial situation Photo: Personal archive
One of the project’s beneficiaries is Bruna Mariano (fourth from left to right in the main photo), who lived out of favor at her sister’s house and had no income of her own. She found out about the Instituto da Providência through a social worker and signed up even though she didn’t know what she wanted to work on. Today, Bruna has her own braiding salon, is an instructor in the area and managed to buy a house.
“Today I can say that the girl who arrived at the institute was welcomed and, with the strength and everything they taught me, she experienced a turning point in life. Everything I achieved was through the institute and the people who made this wonderful project come true, showing us that we can come out of nothing, be someone and conquer our space in the world”, says Bruna.
Another entrepreneur, Cristina Gomes says that professional training in fashion was what took her family out of a delicate financial situation, and gave her the opportunity to create her own brand of sustainable bags and accessories. With her husband unemployed and two children, the house’s only income came from government assistance programs, such as Bolsa Família.
“I face some challenges as a woman and a mother, I have never stopped being an entrepreneur. All my family income comes from what I do, I will never be able to pay the Instituto da Providência for their helping hand”, highlights Cristina.
The target audience for the courses are women with a family income per capita with an indicator below the extreme poverty line, aged between 18 and 60 years old and residents of socially vulnerable areas.
Since 2022, more than 1,700 women have been impacted by the initiative, which offers, along with training, seed capital of R$1,500 to strengthen businesses.
Family structure
Executive Director of the Providence Institute, Maria Garibaldi. Photo: Ray Evllyn/Disclosure
According to an analysis of 2024 data carried out by the institute, 80% of the beneficiaries are heads of families, 76% are over 30 years old, 79% are black or mixed race and 54% have not completed high school. So far, the project has generated 684 new businesses and provided 364 working capital resources.
“The Mulher Potência Empreendedora project is born from the knowledge of many years of work with this public. The moment we understand what the role of women is in society, you know? As head of the family, as responsible”, says the executive director of the Instituto da Providência, Maria Garibaldi.
She points out that social stigma makes it difficult for women to enter the job market, and reinforces the role of the project in all phases, seeking not only technical preparation for the job, but also social support in rebuilding self-esteem.
“Vulnerability is not just financial. It is a security vulnerability in the territory. It is a security vulnerability, often at home. We deal with women who suffer domestic violence. We deal with women who do not generate income. And financial autonomy empowers women”, concludes Maria Garibaldi.
*Intern under the supervision of Tâmara Freire
