![]() This includes community savings, contribution to community development activities and special celebrations, health assistance and mortuary contribution. Thus, WEAVE being a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), ensures that women’s basic human rights are protected and advanced through gender equity, fair payment, non-discrimination, safe and good conditions in the workplaces and continuous capacity building.Īdditionally, WEAVE Fair Trade is steering funds and opportunities toward initiatives that refugee women project participants deemed most important. ![]() Improved family relationships as well as credit-worthiness in their communities has increased their capacity to act as stewards of a safe, healthy and productive community. Women increase their self-confidence through acquiring business acumen. Gradually women artisans, have been better able to support their families resulting in improved health and nutrition. It has resulted in the provision of a safe income, addressing direct and immediate needs on food, health and education of the artisans and their families. Over the years, WEAVE has provided direct assistance to more than 20,000 refugee women artisans in the design, production and marketing of beautifully handcrafted textile-based products. They generate a safe, gainful and sustainable income, enabling increased self-reliance while ensuring cultural traditions thrive. Through co-creating handmade products that blends contemporary with time-honored inspired designs, bringing them to market and contributing to the global handicrafts’ economy. WEAVE supports efforts of refugees and disadvantaged hill-tribe women to improve sustainable livelihoods. Its singular purpose is to transition towards women’s economic empowerment and improved quality of life. Originally intended as an income generation activity, WEAVE’s intervention has evolved into a socially-driven enterprise now called WEAVE Fair Trade. Local raw materials are sourced that are environmentally friendly, empowering women and enhancing their power to lead community enterprises to sustain change. Weave connects women artisans with the creative community of designers to come up with new product creations, building entrepreneurial connection and long-term relationship with buyers that is transparent, respectful and nurturing. Harnessing the strength of refugee women artisans – their ingenuity in traditional handicrafts (weaving, embroidery and hand stitching) and building enterprise acumen. WEAVE strongly felt the necessity and opportunity to offer alternatives towards economic self-sufficiency. It means missing out because refugee and poor women are under counted, undervalued, under-served and underrepresented.” It means missing opportunities because women lack power and voice. I always use this explanation as fitting under their circumstances “Poverty means more than having little or no income at all. ![]() We found at WEAVE that access to income is one of the hindrances, particularly for women refugees. Finding additional work outside puts them and their families at great risk, making them vulnerable to arrests and exploitation. Access to income in the refugee camp is a rarity for women. A community of women have decided to mobilize themselves and to make a difference to their situation and WEAVE is working with them.ĭisplaced people struggled to survive with aid allowances and economic and employment opportunities are extremely scarce. However, at the Karenni refugee camps and surrounding Thai communities populated by Karen hill-tribes in Mae Hong Son Province, change is taking place. An uncertain future is driving them to despair. The authorities do not allow the refugees to leave or work outside the camps. The situation is exacerbated by other problems, including overcrowding, poor nutrition and sanitation, increased psycho-emotional problems and lack of economic opportunity. Refugee women are often faced with the incredible tasks of providing for themselves and for their children. Their everyday challenges are manifested by endemic poverty. This prolonged encampment and with no clear sight and hope for the future has left the refugees and displaced persons despondent. The refugees have fled violence and fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and armed ethnic rebel forces. The year 2019 marks the 29th year of refugee confinement at the Thai-Myanmar border.
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