Who Is It For?

Women Over 50

Women over 50 represent a critically important yet often overlooked segment in the labour market and supporting them is a central part of CORA’s mission. There are a few key reasons we prioritise this group:

High Risk of Exclusion and Age Discrimination
Despite growing life expectancy and the need to work longer, many women in this age group face systemic barriers to employment. Across the EU, older workers (aged 55-64) remain under-represented in the labour force, and age discrimination — including biases about productivity and cost — still persists.
Significant Employment Challenges in Greece
In Greece, the employment rate for women aged 55–59 is only ~51.2%, far below the EU-27 average of ~70.7% for the same age group. Meanwhile, their unemployment rates are notably high: for Greek women aged 55–59 the unemployment rate is around 9.7%, more than double the EU average for that age range. These numbers highlight how many older women are shut out of meaningful employment opportunities.
Untapped Potential and Valuable Experience
Older women often bring maturity, experience, and stability into the workplace, assets that employers should value more. With the right support, these women can make significant contributions to local economies. Studies show that retention of older workers has improved significantly across Europe, with employment rates rising partly due to labour-market reforms and better health among older adults.
Demographic and Social Change in Greece
Greece is facing demographic challenges, including an ageing population, which makes it more important than ever to support older adults’ continued participation in the workforce. Supporting women over 50 isn’t just a matter of social justice, it’s also economically strategic.
Social and Personal Impact
Many women over 50 have lived through career interruptions, family caregiving, or limited access to training in their younger years. By providing tailored coaching, counselling, and reintegration support, CORA helps them rebuild confidence, reconnect with their skills, and re-enter the workforce on their own terms.

In summary, women over 50 are uniquely positioned to contribute to the workforce but often lack the support, training, or confidence needed to do so. By focusing on this group, CORA not only drives social inclusion and equity, it taps into an underestimated resource that benefits both individuals and communities.

Expat & Migrant Women

Expat and migrant women often arrive in Crete seeking safety, opportunity, or a fresh start — yet many face profound barriers that limit their ability to integrate and thrive. Language differences, cultural adjustment, legal complexities, unfamiliar systems, and limited social networks can lead to isolation, underemployment, or long-term unemployment.

European research highlights that migrant women face a double disadvantage in the labour market: both as women and as migrants. Many are overqualified compared to the jobs they end up in, while others struggle to transfer their skills due to lack of recognition, bureaucratic obstacles, or limited local support. Social integration challenges also affect their emotional wellbeing, confidence, and sense of belonging.

In Crete specifically, many expat women arrive without family networks, making them more vulnerable during periods of change, job searching, parenting, or personal transition. Without strong support, even highly capable women can find themselves excluded from opportunities.

CORA focuses on expat women because we understand their realities deeply, one of our own founders has walked this path. Our services support not only employability but also emotional wellbeing, community integration, and practical confidence. We make Crete feel like home, helping women rebuild their identity, skills, and stability in a new place with dignity and support.

Single Mothers

Single mothers face some of the highest levels of social and economic vulnerability in Greece and across Europe. Balancing childcare, financial pressure, and limited support networks places them at a structural disadvantage in the labour market. Research consistently shows that single mothers are at a significantly higher risk of unemployment, part-time or unstable work, and poverty compared to partnered mothers. Their participation in the workforce is often hindered by childcare gaps, inflexible schedules, emotional stress, and the absence of practical support systems.

In Greece, where affordable childcare is limited and family responsibilities fall disproportionately on women, single mothers often experience long-term career interruptions, making it difficult to access training, re-enter employment, or build financial independence. Many face isolation, burnout, and reduced confidence after years of navigating these challenges alone.

CORA focuses on single mothers because they deserve a support system that understands their daily realities. Through flexible workshops, counselling, job-matching, and community building, we help single mothers regain stability, rebuild their confidence, develop new skills, and access opportunities suited to their personal and family needs.

Supporting single mothers is not only socially impactful, it is a direct investment in stronger families, greater gender equality, and healthier communities.

Career Returners & Low-Educated Women

Career returners, especially women who stepped away from work due to caregiving, health challenges, or life transitions, often face stigma, lack of confidence, skill gaps, and uncertainty about how to re-enter today’s labour market. Low-educated women encounter even greater barriers, including limited access to training, fewer opportunities, and higher risks of long-term unemployment.

Across the EU, women with lower educational attainment are significantly more likely to be economically inactive, underpaid, or trapped in insecure jobs. In Greece, this challenge is especially acute: many women with limited formal education or outdated skills struggle to compete in a rapidly changing job market. Many also experience anxiety, low self-esteem, or a sense of being “left behind.”

CORA focuses on these women because talent, value, and potential are not defined by degrees or formal certificates. With the right support, coaching, practical training, empowerment tools, and personalised guidance, women can re-enter the workforce with confidence and clarity. We help them rediscover their strengths, build new capabilities, and access employment pathways that match their abilities and ambitions.

Supporting career returners and low-educated women strengthens families, fills workforce shortages, and restores economic independence — creating ripple effects throughout the community.