From Informal Work to Decent Jobs

A while ago, UNDP asked people across Albania a simple question: What does Social Justice Day mean to you? What is social justice, really? The answers were as diverse as the people who shared them. Some spoke about fairness in schools and streets. Others talked about ending poverty, or making sure everyone has access to education. A few described it as the right to be seen, heard, and valued, regardless of where you come from. Different words, different perspectives—but one shared truth emerged: social justice is about dignity, equal opportunity, and protection from vulnerability, so that no one is left to struggle alone in the shadows.

That truth comes alive most clearly in the stories of women like Vjollca and Fabiola. On this International Day of Social Justice, their journeys remind us that social justice is not an abstract idea debated in conference rooms or reduced to numbers in a report. It is built slowly and deliberately—through skills, protection, emotional support, and the quiet determination to turn survival into security.

Vjollca knows the kind that wears you down year after year. For a long time, she worked informally in Vora, cleaning homes and taking whatever work, she could find. There was no contract, no social insurance, no safety net. Like so many women in similar situations, her choices were limited. As a mother raising a young son, while also managing her own health challenges, economic insecurity was a constant presence in her life.

Her turning point came in late 2025. Between October and November, Vjollca attended every session of a housekeeping training course offered by UNDP through the UN Joint Programme Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP), funded by the Joint SDG Fund. She often arrived hand in hand with her little boy, determined not to miss a single day.

The training gave her professional skills as a cleaning specialist—but it offered much more than that. Through sessions on work ethics, labour rights, and emotional empowerment facilitated closely by the National Agency of Employment and Skills and a local NGO called “HAP” Network, Vjollca began to understand her own value as a worker and the importance of social insurance. She gained not only knowledge, but confidence. Today, she is formally employed and has social insurance She feels safer, more protected, and far more aware of her rights. Those who worked with her describe her as a woman of strong character, with eyes full of light—the kind that comes from someone who has endured hardship and still chooses to stand tall.

A different, yet equally powerful journey unfolds in the story of Fabiola, a 35-year-old mother. After moving from a remote area of Tropoja to Shkodra, Fabiola found herself alone, divorced, and without family support. With little work experience and no stable income, she faced deep socio-economic hardship. In 2022, after experiencing domestic violence, she turned to the organization Gruaja tek Gruaja, where she received emergency shelter alongside psycho-social and legal support.

Through an individualized reintegration plan, Fabiola’s interest in professional training and economic independence became clear. She was selected as one of 15 women to take part in a four-month vocational training programme on long-term care for older persons and persons with disabilities, delivered in partnership with the Public Vocational Training Centre in Shkodra. There, she gained both theoretical and practical skills—from psycho-emotional support and first aid to hygiene standards, medication management, and the use of assistive devices.

After completing the programme and earning her certification as a long-term care assistant, Fabiola moved into a practical placement in social care institutions, supported by the project and the Municipality of Shkodra. She is now transitioning toward formal employment and is in line for inclusion in the municipality’s local employment programme for home-based care services—part of an integrated care model the project is helping to build. At the same time, she openly shares her experience through project outreach activities, inspiring other women to believe that change is possible.

“The stories of Vjollca and Fabiola show what social justice looks like when social protection, skills development, and decent employment are woven together. By addressing both economic and emotional barriers—and by moving beyond short-term support—the LEAP programme, funded by the Joint SDG Fund, is helping women in vulnerable situations step into formal work, social security, and a renewed sense of dignity”-says Randi Davis, UNDP Resident Representative.

Their journeys are part of a wider transformation. Across Albania, LEAP has supported more than 1,000 vulnerable individuals—primarily women, young people, and families receiving economic aid. In 2025 alone, 864 households accessed integrated social and employment services, while 357 women and young people moved into employment, many for the first time. Through pilot initiatives in six municipalities, the programme has also helped grow the care economy, with 93 women securing paid roles in long-term care—turning unpaid or informal caregiving into dignified, protected work.

On this International Day of Social Justice, the stories of Vjollca, Fabiola, and so many others offer quiet but powerful proof: when vulnerability meets opportunity, integrated support, and belief in second chances, lives change—and communities grow stronger.

Social justice wears a human face. It looks like Vjollca arriving at training with her son by her side. Like Fabiola earning her certification as a caregiver. Like 93 women stepping into paid care roles with rights and security. 
It is not abstract—it is real, tangible, and transformative. 

Vulnerability becomes strength. 

Informal becomes formal. 

Survival becomes thriving. 

And when we keep investing in these bridges, we move closer to a world where dignity is not a privilege, but every woman’s birthright.

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The UN Joint Programme Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP) is funded by the Joint SDG Fund and implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women and ILO.