Genesis Fair Trade || Empowerment, Equality, & Craft
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that brands who empower women artisans and enable time-honored tradition and craftsmanship to thrive are some of my favorite to work with. Today I'm honored to introduce you all to Genesis Fair Trade, a beautiful artisan marketplace working with women in several countries to give them the opportunity to earn above-average pay, create a beautiful life for themselves and their families, and carry on the tradition and art of their craft by introducing it to a wider audience.
As beautiful as that mission is, Genesis goes even further than that - believe it or not.
In addition to employing their artisans and carrying on their trade, the brand invests further into their communities by funding projects in each country they work in, helping solve a need or difficulty that is unique to that area.
Take my (extraordinarily intricate and beautiful) Luz Eterna clutch for example. Handmade using traditional weaving techniques, this clutch was made by a woman in Oaxaca, Mexico.
She was paid fairly for her work. She used natural dyes and locally sourced wool to weave it. She carried on the craftsmanship of her Zapotec ancestors, and through her hard work, is bringing the beauty of her culture to a wider audience (YOU).
Why Shop Fair Trade?
More than some "high and mighty" feeling of helping someone in another nation (which I think can be our tendency as first-world consumers in the ethical shopping space..) Genesis has the most beautiful definition of why shopping fair trade matters:
Fair Trade is more than just equitable wages. Fair Trade is about equality, sourcing transparency, and respect for talent. We empower artisans to create one of a kind products in safe working conditions with sustainable pay. What this means is no workplace exploitation for the sole purpose of profit.
We can try to do the most good with our purchases (as we should!) but, one portion of the puzzle that is easy to forget about is the sheer talent and time that goes into creating each of these pieces. These women have talent and have worked hard to perfect their craft - they deserve to be paid fairly and treated with dignity for their work.
In addition to this clutch, Genesis sells a variety of products from larger (and smaller) bags, to apparel, and even candles and home goods - each and every piece made by an artisan being paid a living (or, ideally, above "living") wage for their work.
Although supporting artisans and investing in their communities won't create overnight change, great things, as the quote goes, are done through a series of small things brought together.
*This post was sponsored by Genesis Fair Trade. All photos and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands working hard to make our world a little more fair.*
