Artisanne is 99% women, have we gone too far?

I’m sure you are aware that today is International Women’s Day and this year’s focus is on #balanceforbetter, to accelerate gender equality, which we whole-heartedly support. But Artisanne is proud to be 99% women.  Have we taken things too far?  We would normally advocate a balance, but in Artisanne’s case we think the imbalance is right. Why?

Because Artisanne Fair Trade baskets are created using traditional Senegalese weaving techniques, passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. Only the women weave in this remote part of Senegal, whilst the men tend the cattle and the fields.  We deal directly with the weavers – with no middlemen involved whatsoever. This helps to ensure that the women earn a regular, fair and secure income for their creations.

As you can imagine they don’t just weave, these amazing women, like so many around the world, do a wonderful ‘juggling act’, every single day.  They cook, wash, clean, take care of the children and elderly family members and weave…all in challenging conditions.

This photo was taken a month ago on my last trip to Senegal: grandmother, daughter, and granddaughters.  A huge shout out to all the women in the world juggling every day and to the men who support them.

Elizabeth and Emma 

#balanceforbetter