Give your mom a gift that gives back
28 April 2014
Media Contact
Mother’s Day is around the corner, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate all of the amazing women around the world creating change in their communities than to hightlight some truly talented female artisans in the developing world whose products make for stunning gifts. From an e-commerce site designed to connect women entrepreneurs to global markets to fair-trade and ethically-sourced baskets that empower women to tackle decades of violence, we’ve got a round-up of the best gifts that will not only give your mom something special to cherish, but will also give women and girls the opportunity to build a better world.
Soko
Tapping into new technologies being employed around the world, Soko, Inc. has developed an innovative e-commerce tool for the developing world, enabling crafts persons to easily connect to online customers.
Soko’s unique model cuts out the middle-man, allowing artisans to maximize profits, while enabling customers to buy a product directly from the creator. This is especially important to economically empower women in developing countries who often are not involved in the formal labor market
ICRW is currently working with Soko to make sure their e-commerce is as successful as possible, so they can empower as many women and girls as possible.
Click here to read more about Soko or click here to browse Soko’s website.
Womencraft
Womencraft is a social enterprise organization. This simply means that while they sell a product, they’re not driven by the bottom line; rather they’re driven by the desire to create lasting change in the communities by empowering women.
Hand-made by over 300 rural women artisans from Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda, Womencraft’s beautiful baskets are woven from sustainable fibers. All of the baskets are fair-trade, ethically-sourced from the local environment, and the company brings together refugees from different communities to work together, a tool that will help alleviate tension and increase peace and collaboration.
By working independently, the women artisans are able to advance themselves, raise stronger and healthier families, and their work supports local economies, empowering others for years to come.
Same Sky
Same Sky abides by the slogan “We Employ. You Empower.”
Working primarily with women in Rwanda, Same Sky hires women to make jewelry like Solena, who after the Rwandan genocide was left homeless. She now has a home and a plot of land to grow vegetables for her family of four as a result of her work.
Women making Same Sky products, from bracelets to clothing, are paid above fair wages and have access to additional educational and mentorship opportunities.
Global Girlfriend
Global Girlfriend operates like eBay or Amazon, an online marketplace where you can buy jewelry, clothing, and household items, but with one crucial difference: Global Girlfriend products are hand-made by women, with proceeds from sales going straight back to empowerment programs for women and girls.
Global Girlfriend taps into existing women artisans who often find it difficult to sell their products in local markets, giving them a global platform to sell their wares.
A portion of sales from each product sold goes to micro-credit programs that allow women to create a small business venture that could lift themselves, and their families, out of poverty.
Marketplace: Handwork of India
This marketplace sells everything from clothes, to accessories, to home décor all from 480 women artisans in India. Their massive collection contains beautiful scarves, shirts, and pillows, and gives women the tools to learn valuable skills to support their families and help keep girls in school and away from the altar.
Women empowered through the program have not only flourished with their new found economic opportunities, they have also become social activists, using the skills they have learned in the workplace to improve conditions in their communities.