Support Women Building Lives Free from Violence

In the neighbourhoods known as Villa El Sauce and El Tropezón in Córdoba City, Argentina, on little dirt roads that branch off in different directions, there is a workshop where extremely important things are happening for the community. Outside there is a tree which provides shade, plants, greenery and a painted wooden sign with the name of the workshop: Las Molonas.

 Inside there are piles of timber, carpentry machines and safety helmets, all bathed in the afternoon sunlight. The walls are covered with calendars with work schedules and colourful post-it notes reminding everyone of birthdays or Friendship Day. From the ceiling hangs a bunch of balloons left over from a recent celebration.

 The objects and how they are arranged in the space tell the story of what drives Las Molonas: training in skilled trades, community work along with the shared joy and importance of taking time to celebrate each other.

The group began during the pandemic with a clear goal: to create job opportunities for women and to train collectively in trades traditionally associated with men — construction, carpentry, plumbing and electrical work.

 Their name also tells a story. “Molones” in Spanish refers to bricks made from recycled bottles, which they used when they first began their training. Later, when it came time to choose an identity, they decided to honour their origins.

 Today, they are a cooperative that operates from the premises they built themselves. There, in addition to working with timber, they undertake training, prepare food to sell and raise funds, hold regular meetings and organise social get-togethers — “juntadas” as they say in Córdoba.

 Over the years, more activities have been added: workshops, recreational outings, trips and, above all, the strengthening of their collective spirit. For these women, learning to work with timber is just as important as gathering by the river for a summer picnic or celebrating Friendship Day together at a funfair.

Nené explains that they are now focusing on expanding the sale of their products — a challenge in times of economic crisis — which involves everything from promoting their work and finding new customers to setting prices for their creations. “We cannot give our work away,” says Nené. “We know our work has value.”

 One of their main sales channels is their Instagram profile, where they display their catalogue and receive enquiries and orders — both individual and bulk. “We welcome your enquiry!” they add. They are always attentive and now that they are formally registered as a cooperative, they can also issue invoices.

Las Molonas has received grants from FMS since 2022, renewed each year. With their first grant, they covered insurance costs to ensure the safety of everyone when using machinery.

 Celeste and Yamila, who are also part of the cooperative, proudly show their tools — from paintbrushes to sanders — and explain how they use them. Their demonstration includes turning on some of the machines they have learnt to operate skilfully and safely.

Several of the Molonas are mothers, and many combine the hours of family care work with shifts of paid work (such as construction site cleaning). For all of them, the location of the workshop and the coordination of team work are key to making their participation in the cooperative possible.

 The triple working day — paid employment, unpaid care work and community work — is, for several of them, a tangible reality.

 One of the things Las Molonas probably value most about their project is that it is a space for mutual support, celebration and care. “Meeting there with the other women fills me up and calms me down. Getting out of the house, being with other women, sharing our issues, sharing our joys,” says Nené.

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