International Women's Day

by Andrew Williams | March 08, 2019 | 0 Comments

Today is International Women's Day, and while we are proud to be a business which is co-owned and co-founded by a woman, it's worth remembering that there is more to IWD than "Mother's Day Part 2." This is a chance for us to underline our commitment to equality, support women who are oppressed, and express our solidarity with women who are making the world a better place. 

In a happy coincidence, the theme of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight is "She Deserves," focussing on the role that women play in fair trade. 

£1.86 is the amount a cocoa farmer in West Africa needs to earn each day in order to achieve a living income. Currently, a typical cocoa farmer in Cote d’Ivoire lives on around 74p a day. Almost all cocoa farmers in West Africa live in poverty.

For women, the situation is even worse. They may plant and harvest on the farm, look after children, carry water, collect wood, cook and clean for the family, and transport the cocoa beans to market but often with fewer rights than men. 

This is why this year's Fairtrade Fortnight is campaigning for a living income to become a reality for cocoa farmers in West Africa. If we can work together with governments, chocolate companies and retailers to make the commitments and policies necessary, then we can make it happen.