She Deserves Fairtrade. She Deserves a Living Income. Fairtrade Fortnight 2019
The Brighton & Hove Fairtrade Steering Group would like to encourage all organisations in the city to take part in Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from 25th February to 10th March 2019.
In 2019, Fairtrade Fortnight will focus on cocoa. Farmers of this iconic Fairtrade product have seen prices crash to crisis levels in the last few years, particularly in West Africa where most cocoa is grown. The situation highlights in stark terms the scandal of unfair trade. We have a choice about whether we take a stand against this.
Many farmers – both men and women – are underpaid and exploited. That means they can’t earn enough for the basics many of us take for granted, including food, education and housing, because they don’t earn a living income.
It’s even worse for the women who work in the fields and in the home. Despite the hard work they put in, they’re often overlooked and under-represented, and usually see even less of the money for their crop. They deserve more.
So, we’ll be featuring the voices of women cocoa farmers at the heart of Fairtrade Fortnight to help us spread the message next year. By recognising those special women around us during Fairtrade Fortnight, we can create a platform for the amazing and inspiring women farmers across the Fairtrade network. They are leading the way in changing attitudes, behaviours and, ultimately, their communities.
Let’s get more people choosing Fairtrade chocolate and signing our Fairtrade Fortnight petition to support them.
Activities:
Could you bake – or find someone else to bake – delicious Fairtrade chocolate treats to share? You can create many kinds of events or photo opportunities around this. Is there a woman – or group of women – you can celebrate with your chocolate creation?
Bake-off competitions, coffee and cake events and photos capturing the moment of appreciation are ways we can take this serious and complex problem and make it relevant for our communities.
Share on social media with the #shedeserves hashtag.
International Women’s Day falls during Fairtrade Fortnight, and Mother’s Day shortly after, so there are great hooks to pin your activities on.
There are plenty of ideas and resources available on https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight to bring a Fairtrade theme to your activities during Fairtrade Fortnight.
Let us know if you are planning a Fairtrade event and we will help to publicise it on our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed. Photos and updates would be great!
From the Fairtrade Steering Group