Women's Equality Day

Women's Equality Day

Women's Equality Day

Today, the 26th August, is Women’s Equality Day. On this date in 1920 American women were first legally allowed to vote, and the day celebrates the centuries old struggle of women around the world for political equality. This is a fight which has seen discrimination based on race, age, marital status and class and which is an ongoing battle even today. 

We believe that Women’s Equality Day shouldn’t end at celebrating an important date in history, but should also be used as a jumping off point to remind us how far we still need to go for women around the globe to be treated with true equality. We are all inspired by women every single day, whether they be our favourite celebrity or political figure, but we can also use this day to consider the women across the globe who are making strides in business and ensuring that products are made ethically, sustainably and fairly. 

It is important in the 21st century not only to consider what the baseline standards of women’s equality are, but also to consider how different groups of women have different needs that should be met. Here at Harrogate Fair Trade Shop we care about all aspects of our supply chain and ensuring that the women making the products we sell are treated fairly and according to their individual needs. On Women’s Equality Day we would like to celebrate some of the inspiring women behind these businesses and look at how shopping Fair Trade can affect their lives in a positive way. 

Some of our favourite jewellery pieces, stocked in the online shop, are the beautiful butterfly necklace and matching earrings created by the Flowering Desert Organisation in rural Tamil Nadu, South India. Flowering Desert was established in 2006 in order to provide stable training and employment for women who had escaped dangerous and abusive situations. The founder, Mercy Abraham Imondi, was motivated by the idea that there was an opportunity to build a better world for these women and their families, beyond the oppression they often experienced. Not only does Flowering Desert provide these opportunities for training and employment, but also looks to meet these women’s specific needs, such as shorter working days to allow them time to care for their children and families. They are also involved in many aspects of the design and creation processes, meaning they are able to add their own unique touches and the resulting gorgeous jewellery truly would not exist without the hard working women behind the pieces. 
Another wonderful range sold in the shop that we would like to highlight today are the lip balms made by Fair Squared, a company which truly prioritises the ethics and sustainability of the products they make. The almond lip balm is not only organic, vegan, halal certified and sold in recyclable packaging, but the key ingredient of almond oil is also produced by the Fair Trade Mountain Fruit Company in northern Pakistan by a women-led and predominantly female workforce. The growing, harvesting and processing takes around 8 months, leaving 4 months of the year for the women to attend classes in the factory where they learn valuable skills such as sewing, which can further supplement their opportunities for employment and income. The women in the community are also involved in the decisions of how and where the money made from Fair Trade is spent, ensuring that everyone benefits from it.

 

The final company we would like to highlight today is Divine Chocolate, luxurious chocolate that is a real treat yet doesn’t compromise on ethical production at any stage. Divine Chocolate is a 100% Fair Trade company based in Ghana and owned by the local cocoa farmers. There is a real emphasis on empowering the women working in cocoa farming and ensuring that they have the skills and confidence they need to support their communities as well as the financial stability to invest in their families. The company is also working towards Sustainable Development Goal 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Why not treat yourself to one of our Divine small chocolate bars which comes in 5 different flavours to suit all tastes and celebrate the work of women worldwide.

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