'Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress'
International Women's Day (IWD) is all about forging a more inclusive world for women; a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.
This year, the theme for IWD day is 'Count Her In'. The idea being that when we invest in and value the contributions of women, we create more pathways to increased economic inclusion for women and girls, which collectively helps shape a better world for all of us.
A Fair Share for Women
Did you know that in some coffee growing regions around the world, up to 90% of field work and up to 80% of harvesting activities are carried out by women? Despite this however, only a small number of coffee farms are actually operated by women.
Women also have lower access to important resources such as land, credit and information, which further reinforces gender inequality.
What Can Be Done?
We would like to see strong improvements made in this area, and this is why our Fair. Coffee is proudly Fairtrade certified. This means strong and ongoing commitments are made to ensure programs are in place to support disadvantaged minority groups and women.
Fairtrade Standards are designed to prevent gender inequality, increase female participation and empower more women and girls to access the benefits of Fairtrade. Women are then able to stake their claim and succeed on their own terms.
It's all about making sure women growers are supported, taken care of and given their fair share.
Since 2019, Fairtrade and producer networks have also been rolling out women's schools of leadership, enabling women to learn business, negotiation and finance skills. This in turn has empowered many women to take on leadership and committee positions within their cooperatives and communities.
All of this reflects well the IWD Mission to:
"forge inclusive work cultures where women's careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated".
It's important that we recognise all of society benefits from the inclusion and empowerment of women-which is why we choose Fairtrade.
Want to celebrate coffee brands that invest in and demonstrably value the inclusion of women? Show your support and take a look through our range of Fair. coffee today.
Wishing you all a Happy International Women's Day in 2024. #IWD2024