This week’s SoroptiVoice comes from Sue Challoner, SIGBI’s Assistant Programme Director for Economic and Social Development. She explains the important role played by Fairtrade in many developing countries in gender equality and economic empowerment.

Almost half the world over 3 billion people live in poverty, and have to provide for themselves and their families on less than $2 a day. Some of the world’s poorest people are small farmers in rural communities in the developing world; many of these are women who struggle to bring up their children in such extreme poverty. Problems of hunger, malnutrition and disease afflict the poorest in society, who also have less access to health, education and other social services.  In many countries women have little representation or voice in public and political debates, making it even harder to escape poverty.

The Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992 with a vision for a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential. They believe in a fair price for a good product, in addition a Fairtrade premium is paid to all farmers. This is a mandatory amount above the cost of the goods that the farmers themselves decide how to spend, according to their needs. The premium is most often invested in farm improvements, also in education and healthcare projects, which can bring change to the whole community. The use of the Fairtrade premium is decided democratically by a committee of men and women. In some countries this is the first time women have been allowed to make decisions.

Jennipher Wattaka is a member of the Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative and also sits on the Fairtrade Premium Committee. Jennipher’s coffee farm is on Mount Elgon in Uganda. It is two acres in size and her 2,000 coffee trees produce a crop of around 500kg of parchment coffee each year.

Uganda is a traditional, patriarchal society in which women are subservient to their husbands, even though many women traditionally run the family farm or do most of the work on it. But the women farmers from Gumutindo Co-op are changing that. They are seen as successful and positive role models by other local women. They get a higher income from their Fairtrade coffee and their co-op is making positive changes in the community.

“As a woman, being involved with Fairtrade is very helpful” says Jennipher. “They transport the coffee by lorry so we don’t have to carry it on our backs. We understand the coffee business now and Fairtrade has taught us how to improve the quality of our coffee. It also helps women sell their coffee; we have a good market now. Fairtrade is also giving women freedom of speech. When we are paid we buy what we want and don’t have to ask our husbands and we know how to budget for our household needs”.

 Our members have been working hard with Fairtrade for many years, and 4 years ago our Federation became a stakeholder member of the Fairtrade Foundation. I am very fortunate as Assistant Programme Director for Economic & Social Development to represent SIGBI at Fairtrade. Throughout the last four years I have been involved in planning meetings and have been invited to attend conferences, receptions and meetings with the producer farmers.

Each year at the Fairtrade Annual General meeting I give a report to Fairtrade and all the other partner NGO’s present, on the work of Soroptimists for Fairtrade. Thanks to our online Programme Reporting system I am able to give up to date reports from clubs of their amazing activities. This year the major theme has been cotton and our clubs have organized Fashion shows, decorated yards and yards of cotton bunting, and held events promoting Fairtrade and also of course promoting Soroptimist International.

Please buy Fairtrade products whenever you can – our Soroptimist buying power can make a real impact on communities around the word!

Sue Challoner

SIGBI Federation Assistant Programme Director 

Economic & Social Development

 

To find out more about the Fair Trade Foundation, please visit www.fairtrade.org.uk

Many thanks to Sue for her article. There will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Fairtrade at the 2011 International Convention where SIGBI will be running a workshop on local advocacy and Fairtrade.

Please visit Facebook on Monday to take part in our on-line discussion on the topic of Fairtrade.