Living the Mission of International Women's Day

(Evanston, Illinois)—International Women’s Day, March 8th, is about the struggle of ordinary women who refuse to accept what they are told, are willing to break free from the constraints placed on them by society and know that they deserve to be treated with equality. International Women’s Day is about women like the artisans of MarketPlace: Handwork of India.

“If women cannot put food on the table, you cannot talk about dignity, you cannot talk about them making changes in their lives and the lives of their families,” says Pushpika Freitas, the founder and president of MarketPlace: Handwork of India, a non-profit, fair trade organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunities for women artisans in India and empowering them to bring about changes in their lives, the lives of their families and their communities. For Freitas and the 480 artisans of MarketPlace: Handwork of India, the mission and spirit of International Women’s Day is a part of daily life.

International Woman’s Day began as a day of protest over poor work conditions and low pay for female workers at the turn of the last century and has become a day of celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women the world over. While the last century has brought some improvements in work conditions, the mission of the first women to celebrate International Women’s Day is an ongoing one.

Born in the poor neighborhoods of Mumbai (Bombay) in 1986, MarketPlace provides employment for low-income, uneducated women. It started with a small group of women using the sewing skills they already possessed to create unique, high quality apparel and home décor items. Unlike normal sewing and handcraft positions in India, MarketPlace artisans were paid a living wage and received benefits. With little education or training, these women faced many obstacles. Some had physical limitations; others were subject to spousal abuse or had been rejected by their families. All had to deal with a society and culture that discriminated against women in many ways.

MarketPlace helped them organize their own artisan cooperatives by providing training, technical assistance and support. At present, MarketPlace works with 14 artisan-controlled cooperatives on every aspect of production, including dyeing the fabrics, sewing the products, and choosing a theme for the catalog. These groups emphasize democratic decision-making, promotion from within and every artisan having a say and stake in the direction of the company. The finely crafted apparel and home décor items can be viewed at www.marketplaceindia.com.

The growth and success of MarketPlace artisans has expanded well beyond being paid a fair wage and working in safe conditions. Life expectancy for Marketplace artisans has increased to 62 years from the national average of 54 years for women. The average female child of a Marketplace artisan will finish the 10th grade, while most Indian girls only complete 4th. Marketplace artisans work an average of 9 months of the year; most artisans had no income before becoming part of a cooperative.

Organizing the workers to achieve financial security is only part of MarketPlace’s mission. Through SHARE, a non-profit organization working with MarketPlace, the artisans collaborate on plans for improvements in the world around them. As with all aspects of MarketPlace, it is the artisans themselves who determine their goals and objectives. SHARE allows the artisans to work towards improving their own lives and the lives of their families as well as the community at large. As community activists, artisans put their newfound organizational and communication skills to use. Groups have taken on daunting tasks such as providing basic health education within their communities, attending workshops on women’s legal rights and forming social action committees to tackle issues such as alcohol abuse and garbage collection.

Manisha Pawar is one of the many artisans at MarketPlace who embodies the spirit of International Women’s Day. With a dedicated personality and a commitment to helping others, she began the Pushpanjali cooperative, which offers sustainable employment to a group of women. Working as part of a MarketPlace cooperative, these women can do more than just provide for the basic needs of themselves and their families, they can contribute to making needed changes in their communities.

As she took on a greater role in her community, Pawar was given a great honor. Members of her community sent an official letter asking that she raise the National Flag on Indian Independence Day, a task normally reserved for men. Despite being a natural leader, Pawar admits to feeling scared, nervous and strange to be in front of an audience doing something that she had only seen men do before. But then she remembered that the community had given her this honor. “While I was hoisting the flag, I thought to myself, ‘Why am I feeling scared, I am a woman doing something to be proud of, I do not need to be behind in anything.’”
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About MarketPlace: Handwork of India
Founded in 1986, MarketPlace is a non-profit organization that conducts catalog and e-commerce sales of products made by cooperatives of women artisans in India. Customers can shop on-line at www.marketplaceindia.com. They can also call 1-800-726-8905 to be added to the MarketPlace catalog mailing list or to be directed to a boutique that carries the MarketPlace line in their area.