Today is International Women’s Day and this year the theme is #BalanceForBetter. So we are celebrating the COMMUNITY, DIGNITY, INDEPENDENCE and EMPOWERMENT that the female weavers in Kenya represent in a short films. This film takes you on a journey to Kenya and right into the heart of one of our biggest and most prolific weaving cooperatives – all women of the Kamba tribe.
The film shows how Female basket weavers in rural Kenya are empowering themselves and each other through cooperative work, giving them independence from their husbands and weaving a more gender equal future for their children.
In the spirit of celebration, we’d also like to tell you a little bit about the incredible women we work with!
“Before I joined our weaving cooperative, I used to rely on my husband for everything we needed at home. I felt I couldn’t even ask him for money for a new pair of shoes because there were just too many more important things that we needed first. But when I started weaving with our cooperative, I had the means to not only help support the family, but also to surprise my husband with new things for him, like a new hat or a pair of trousers.”
Meet Mbeti, Chairlady of the Kenyan Weaving Cooperative.
“For women, life has changed: they can put food on table, educate their children, and build decent houses. My husband encourages me most and supports in every step. Family members and the community appreciate the business as it supports many women.”
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance. The campaign is all about galvanising us to take collective action towards a more gender-balanced world and workplace through celebrating women's achievement and raising awareness against bias.
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