In Chiapas, a state in southern Mexico bordering Guatemala, 102 women artisans have managed to integrate into the markets of the future and strengthen the local economy, thanks to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which has a project that aims to promote the resilience of artisans.
The main objective of the program “Boosting the resilience of artisans in Chiapas – Digital X” in Mexico was to strengthen the economic independence of indigenous women in the region by promoting textile production and the marketing of their crafts.
“The goal is to boost the entrepreneurial and digital skills of women artisans. It is an initiative of the UNDP digital office. They launch a call for proposals every year, we present the project and win the funds. Therefore, all these initiatives have to be focused on digital processes,” explained Ksenia Alexandrova, the project manager.
Women and girls globally remain underrepresented in the creation, use and regulation of technology. In Mexico, 59.2% of women do not use a computer, laptop or tablet at home or outside, but the gap is widening. In rural areas, 77.7% of women do not use these devices..
He National Institute of Women (INMUJERES) The report points out that the gap in internet use is wider among older generations, but is even more pronounced among the population living in rural areas where connectivity is still not widely available. In addition, 69.5% of the indigenous population, 8.4 million people, live in poverty, and 84.3% of indigenous women live in poverty.
Chiapas is one of the states with the lowest percentages of Internet, cell phone and computer users. Only 4 out of 10 Internet users are in rural areas. In the same state there are 2.8 million indigenous women and 87.5% of the population is indigenous. The indigenous municipalities where these women live are in conditions of high and very high degree of marginalization..
The program “Boosting the resilience of artisans in Chiapas – Digital X” was made possible thanks to participation in the “Digital X” call, launched by the UNDP Digital Office and funded by the Government of Japan, with the aim of bringing innovative digital solutions to UNDP Country Offices.
In collaboration with British e-commerce company Akojo Market, the project received $50,000 in funding for its implementation, which was allocated to two main components: the production of crafts and sales on Akojo Market’s e-commerce platform, as well as training for artisans in socio-emotional, entrepreneurial and digital skills.
María Isabel Ara Pale, from the municipality of Huixtan, Chiapas, was one of the women who benefited from this program. For her, Having this type of support is quite enriching, both for your personal growth and that of your community..
“My life was working in the fields, planting corn and beans, and my job was also staying at home, but thanks to the KIPTIK team, they made it possible for us to do this and to be able to sell my clothes. I embroidered, but I didn’t sell them, I didn’t know I could do it, I did it only for personal use.”
In the production phase, a total of 42 women participated in the creation of more than 150 artisanal products that were marketed internationally digitally.
According to data from the UNDPthe average income generated in this training process for each female artisan was 129 dollars, representing a significant change compared to the initial data of the project, where it was identified that approximately 30% of women earned less than 28 dollars per month and 40% had no sales or income calculations.
In terms of training, a total of 102 women artisans participated in six workshops facilitated by the UNDP team in Mexico in collaboration with the local design company KIPTIK. Thanks to these trainings and the women’s skills, 88% of them reported greater economic and business empowermentwhile 87% said they had acquired greater technological and digital empowerment.
Among the workshops that the artisan women were able to take was one on strengthening socio-emotional skills aimed at promoting self-confidence, leadership and conflict resolution among the participants.
“The first one was about socio-emotional skills, the second one was about European trends in design. In this workshop, our British company helped us a lot in knowing what the trends are. Then we had a cutting and sewing workshop where women were able to learn a lot. Then we had the cooperative workshop to be able to form a cooperative. Then we had the cost workshop, because many times the product is sold without taking into account several characteristics. And finally, we had the digital strategies workshop, so that we learn to sell through social networks.”, explained Ksenia Alexandrova.
In a second phase, topics related to social economy models and effective collaboration with clients were addressed, providing participants with the necessary tools to establish solid relationships with their clients and promote collaboration in the community.
“We started the project and thanks to these workshops and training we have been able to boost the work a little (…) The first workshop was about how to resolve conflicts at work and this benefits us in the way of knowing how to communicate, how to work as a team, how to establish new techniques, how we can improve and each artisan,” said María Isabel.
Finally, they delved into essential marketing strategies and business skills, such as setting fair prices for their crafts and safely using digital technologies for product sales.
The project has not only empowered 102 women technically, digitally and economically, but has also fostered collaboration and income opportunities for Chiapas artisans in the digital markets of the future, thus contributing to strengthening the local economy.
“I would like customers to appreciate our work, the dedication and effort, the work of each craftsman.each garment, because each one has a written emotion and a sentimental value, a lot of time and concentration is dedicated to it (…) The truth is that I feel great satisfaction in being able to launch our product to different brands and people who can see and appreciate our work and the effort of the artisans and the time and work it takes to make it.”
According to the National Employment SurveyIn Mexico, during the fourth quarter of 2023, men working in crafts represented 73.1% of the employed population and women 26.9%. The ages of male artisans range from 45 to 54 years, while the older women are between 35 and 44 years old.
The highest average salary was 7,500 pesos for men, while the lowest average salary was 1,500 for women. That is why these types of programs are so important so that women themselves can generate a stable economy in their community.
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