Here's to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them
Today is International Women's Day and this year the IWD community are encouraging everyone around the world to #choosetochallenge inequality, call out bias and help to forge an inclusive world. This initiative has reminded us just how simple it can be to start a powerful conversation and how together we can work towards a gender equal world.
On March 8th 1908, female garment workers in New York City took to the streets of New York City to protest unfair working conditions and create change for themselves. Today, millions of women are still working in similar conditions, without a voice and with little ability to fight back.
One in every 130 women and girls on Earth is living in modern slavery.
On International Women’s Day we should see this issue as one of the most pressing of our time. Not only because it is holding back millions of women, but also because as consumers, we are benefitting from their suffering.
We believe that Women’s Empowerment and gender equality is a basic human right and is a key priority for Cloth & Co. We see it as our responsibility to work closely with the people on the ground to understand their circumstances and help them build viable businesses that can sustain the individual worker, their families and communities.
With over 70% of our artisans being women, their empowerment is at the heart of what we do. We have a close-knit team of like-minded people in Sydney, Australia and our equally passionate team member based in New Delhi, who helps keep the flow of communication with all of our artisan groups across India. 
There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
- Kofi Annan, 7th UN Secretary General
We spend time with each of our artisan communities, getting to know the people and understand the cultural context, environment and individual circumstances that impact their day to day lives.
We get just as excited to see them, as they do us; it really is a wonderful opportunity, and we hope that everyone who connects with us at Cloth & Co. can experience a little part of this incredible connection with the people behind what we do.
Education increases ‘people’s self-confidence and enables them to find better jobs, make demands on government for health care, social security and other entitlements. In particular, education empowers women to make choices that improve their own and their children’s health and chances of survival. Further, education empowers women to make choices that improve their welfare, including marrying later and having fewer children. Crucially, education also increases women’s awareness of their human rights and their confidence to assert those rights.
We hope you choose to challenge this International Womens Day and together we will create a gender equal world.
From challenge comes change.
Cloth & Co. x
Our team #choosetochallenge
Caroline Poiner
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Warehouse Manager
