• Women work 66% of the world’s working hours
• While only earning 10% of the world’s income
• Over 66% of the world’s 876 million illiterate people are women
• More than 80% of the world’s estimated 40 million refugees are women and children
• Women own less than 1% of the world’s property
Fair trade transforms lives and it is good for women. It gives them opportunities to work that would not otherwise be available. For women this means clean water, education and food for their families. We are very proud to say that the majority of the goods we sell are produced by women and we are very proud to be supporting the wonderful organisations which bring these goods to market.
Motif operating in Bangladesh since 1998 is a good example. The women making Motif products, such as fair trade jewellery are marginalised for reasons more than poverty. Some are former prostitutes; others have been affected by leprosy or other wasting diseases; some may have been divorced or abandoned - each situation scars women with a stigma that reduces their chance of decent employment. Employment at Motif daily provides a 'safe place' where they can share with other women and be earning at the same time. Many also take materials home, working when daily chores are put down. All enjoy the camaraderie together.
India. St Mary’s Mahila Shikshan Kendra is a women’s handicraft organization run by the Dominican Sisters in Gomtipur, Ahmadabad. This area of Ahmadabad, once known for its textile mills, suffered much unemployment since global competition closed the mills in the 1980s. It continues to attract landless labourers who come searching for work. Artisans of St. Mary’s create mirrorwork embroidery in the tradition of the Kathiawadis, a craft more than a thousand years old. The artisans of St. Mary’s share in decision–making and project responsibilities. St. Mary’s markets 20 percent of its products in India; the rest are sold abroad. The organization runs a dispensary and maternity clinic that caters to the poor and marginalized women of the area around St. Mary’s. It also runs health programs, a savings program, sewing education and children’s education programs. Since 1970, their embroidery program has provided employment for women of the area. St. Mary’s is intentionally a mix of Christian, Hindu and Muslim artisans working together. During 2002 religious riots in Gujarat state, St. Mary’s, with its history of religious understanding, became a refuge for many from the chaos and violence.
In the Philippines nearly 800 households were displaced from their homes by a major hydro-electric project. A co-operative was specifically set up to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for families and communities displaced from their homes. The co-operative producing lovely fair trade jewellery is made up of sixty women.
These organisations are just a small example of how fair trade helps women. We also sell products made by and empowering women in Peru, Nepal and Vietnam
According to the Fair Trade Federation, seventy percent of Fair Trade artisans are women, many of whom are the sole wage-earners in their homes. Unlike most jobs that women might hold in manufacturing where they are forced to travel great distances and work long hours in dangerous conditions, a woman’s participation in a Fair Trade cooperative is about more than just her production capacity. Fair Trade allows women to provide for their families, educate their sons and their daughters and strengthens communities.
*Statistics quoted from http://www.concern.net/
March 8th is International Women's Day
Further reading: World Fair Trade Organisation, International Women's Day Section
No comments:
Post a Comment