International Women’s Day is a moment to reflect on the progress made in advancing gender equality and to celebrate the women who continue to drive change around the world. Fair Trade is one of the most impactful ways to support women’s rights, particularly in marginalized communities. By focusing on ethical business practices that prioritize fair wages, safe working conditions, and community empowerment, Fair Trade helps uplift women and provide them with the opportunities they need to thrive. Through partnerships with businesses like Koguis, which focus on sustainable practices and women’s empowerment, we are reminded of the power of trade done right.
Koguis, an endorsed Fair Trade business based in Australia, works directly with indigenous women artisans in Colombia. These women are skilled in creating exquisite, handmade products that reflect their rich cultural heritage. By working with Koguis, the artisans not only preserve traditional craftsmanship but also gain economic independence, a sense of pride in their work, and the ability to influence positive change in their communities. Koguis is dedicated to supporting these women by providing fair wages, ethical working conditions, and fostering sustainable practices, ensuring that their work benefits the artisans, their families, and the wider community.
Hand made dry flowers cards
In this blog, we dive into an insightful conversation with Diana Akkerman, the founder of Koguis, about the artisans they work with and the importance of Fair Trade in empowering women.
How does Koguis support and empower women artisans through Fair Trade?
At Koguis, we have been working with artisans, giving priority to indigenous communities that have kept traditional craftsmanship alive to this day.
We also pay fair wages to our artisans and offer them support through work that earns them an income for their families. Most of these are female and they set up their own prices based on the intricacy and time required. By paying fair wages to our artisans and offering them a support work that earns, they have an income for their families. Most of our pieces are hand made by female artisans from Colombia, Ecuador and Ghana.
Can you share a story of a woman artisan whose life has transformed through her work with Koguis?
Astrid is a lovely artisans who leads a group of female artisans in Bogota, but she’s originally from the Atlantic coast of Colombia. She makes the most wonderful dried pressed flowers cards, bookmarks and gift tags. Being each one completely hand made, the work of Astrid could take months to finish an order but they are surely the most beautiful cards we have seen and the customers agree.
Astrid uses her income to help to support her family with two kids. We have been working together since 2012.
Why is it important to preserve traditional artisan techniques, and how does Koguis help keep these crafts alive?
Very sadly, traditional techniques are endangered across the globe. Since day one back in 2010 at Koguis, we have seen this then as crucial as today. The indigenous people require support in order to survive themselves all together with their cultural inheritance.
And we owe it to them to appreciate their incredible works. We have not stopped working with these communities despite Koguis also offering pieces that are not from indigenous artisans but still passed down from generations of artisans.
And at last, I could add that if we don’t support ancestral traditions passed throughout time, this knowledge that is Patrimony of Mankind will be gone forever and we all know it.
What does International Women’s Day mean to Koguis and the artisans you work with?
It means very much to us, we are a female founded business that has always employed female staff and 90% of the pieces are made by the groups of artisans we work with. We are also the Australian and NZ business partner for Global Mamas, an internationally certified Fair Trade brand. As their name states, they work with only female leaders in Ghana since 2003 helping their families access education- even to go study in universities through their income from the Mamas.
How can consumers support women artisans and Fair Trade businesses like Koguis beyond International Women’s Day?
Koguis has established itself as a business that leads by example, showing how selling top quality pieces made from hand made natural fibres while supporting Fair Trade can change the world a bit at the time. We do refuse to engage with sweat shops produced items by doing exactly the opposite. Working close with the producers and allowing them to earn with dignity a fair wage is what we do. Our customers understand that and also understand why pieces can cost more as the artisans are fairly paid, as simple as that!
What message would you like to share with women around the world on this special day?
Well, very importantly is that we females are very empathetic but also have the force of changing power on our hands if we set out to make it happen (being a migrant to Australia myself). We understand about nurturing and care by also being patient and understanding and self sacrifice in order to accomplish or support others to also rise.
The whole thing is not about us as individuals to shine but more about to set out to succeed as a group of humans that ought to be kind to their fellow humans around the world and that is the core of what we do.
Saying this, in my fashion design background we do create unique pieces designed for our Australian customers and that also makes Koguis a very unique brand with special crafted pieces.
