Women Supporting Women

Women Supporting Women

Savvy shopping - just what is that all about? Little Black Dress has teamed with ethical jewellery maker So Just Shop to support a fabulous concept: women supporting women. Discover more about ethical retail and how we are giving women across the world more economic power. . .

Ethical retail

Mention ethical retail and you may have an idea of what the products may look like. But Jennifer Georgeson, the founder of the recently launched So Just Shop, is challenging preconceived notions of what ethical fashion looks like. Little Black Dress is all about supporting female artists across the world. So, when So Just Shop approached us to house their boutique collection, we jumped at the chance. Afterall, we really want to make a difference and help give back to communities.

Delhi

But what is Jennifer's background? Well, Jennifer has worked in Delhi with The Clinton Foundation, and in between stints working with NGOs in Zambia, Pakistan and India, she has also worked with technology start-ups.

While Jennifer was working with the Clinton Foundation in India, she was also running a small charity targeting early malnutrition, and this is when the idea for So Just Shop began to grow.

The Only Thing They'd Eat was Cookies

Jennifer says: "I noticed that while my team successfully increased mothers' awareness of malnutrition, there was no change in the children's health. Mothers would go to work and leave older children in charge of the younger ones. This meant that often a two-year-old would be left in the care of a four-year-old, and the only thing they'd eat all day is cookies. Once the team launched feeding and early learning centers for the children, things began to turnaround for the women, and their children.

It got me thinking about who holds the economic power.

"When a woman can earn a living wage, there is a trickle down effect for the whole community. If we can help a woman, it can help a whole community, " Jennifer explains.

As she points out, economic disempowerment is often an obstacle to maternal and child health. Jennifer also shares the story of a woman who could not read, so it would take her over an hour to get to work because she could not understand the bus signs. Once she learned how to read, not only was she able to get to work on time, but this newly confident woman felt empowered to gather the women in her community to lobby the village leader for a new well.

Read our sustainable promise blog

So Just Shop - Women Supporting Women

She was successful, and is now one of So Just Shop's jewellery makers. So Just Shop launched in 2015, and sells jewellery and home accessories handmade by women in 35 countries, including India, Guatemala, Malawi, Nepal and Thailand. Little Black Dress is proud to support So Just Shop and Jennifer's far reaching ambitions to bring change to the world.

The jewellery is both contemporary and shows a unique blend of traditional and modern techniques.

"It's important that the designs are contemporary but the women are always using a traditional skill," says Jennifer: "We want buyers to recognize where the pieces come from."

Selling handmade textiles wholesale, all with an eye towards helping to lift the women economically. Now that's what we call savvy shopping.

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