Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate and honor the women in our lives – whether mother, aunt, grandmother, or older friend – who have served to shepherd us through the ups and downs as a mentor, guide, and loving shoulder to cry on. What better way to show your appreciation on Mother’s Day than by paying it forward and helping to lift up other women and mothers around the world?
By using your purchasing power for good, you can seek justice and empower women globally, all while honoring mom!
Here’s a helpful gift guide to get you started:
1. Sudara Loungewear
There’s nothing better than PJ’s with a purpose. Sudara’s line of cute, comfy loungewear is made by survivors of sex trafficking in India, who are trained by the company to become seamstresses, providing economic opportunity and new hope for their futures.
2. Help a Widow Start a Small Business with the International Justice Mission Gift Catalog
The Darling community is a big supporter of the work IJM is doing in the field to rescue and restore victims of modern day slavery, sex trafficking and other forms of violence. You can choose a gift to honor the special woman in your life that helps a widow start a small business in Uganda, or combats sex trafficking in a place like the Dominican Republic, all of which given women from across the globe the hope of a better life. By choosing a gift to honor your mom in this way, you are helping to give women hope of a better life around the world.
By choosing a gift to honor your mom in this way, you are helping to give women hope of a better life around the world.
3. Thistle Farms
Trying to get Mom on the essential oils bandwagon? Thistle Farm is a “sanctuary for healing” for women who have survived trafficking, addiction and abuse. Their online store features essential oils and other items for bath, body, and home made by survivors who are learning essential skills that they need to earn a living wage.
4. iSanctuary and Purpose Jewelry
iSanctuary provides holistic care to survivors of sex trafficking in Mumbai. As part of their restoration program, they provide employment and skills training through Purpose Jewelry, a beautifully crafted line featuring both timeless and on-trend designs that are perfect for Mom!
5. Good Paper
Good Paper’s mission is to “restore the human spirit.” Their beautiful handmade cards make the perfect accompaniment to any Mother’s Day gift. Their cards are made by women who have escaped sex trafficking in the Philippines and young adults orphaned by disease in Rwanda. And, as if that weren’t enough, they’re just plain cute.
6. Sisterhood Soap
Refusing to let hate, violence and terror have the last word, Sisterhood Soap exists to empower women refugees in Iraq to start soap-making businesses after fleeing ISIS. These beautiful soaps are handmade using wild herbs and pure olive oil, without the use of dangerous chemicals or dyes. Every soap-maker receives equipment, training and support to rebuild her life.
Know of other companies that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments!
Image via Aysegül Karatekin
11 comments
Love all of these! You should also check out Free The Girls (www.freethegirls.org). We empower women – survivors of sex trafficking – to rebuild their lives and reintegrate back into their communities through psycho-social therapy, education, mentoring, business/entrepreneurial training and income generation by selling gently used bras in the second hand clothing markets.
Through the bra selling initiative, we offer a wonderful way to connect women in North America with the women we serve in under developed countries. Generating an income is not always the first thought when we think of a woman…a survivor…healing from the trauma of sex trafficking. However, it is just as vital as the other areas of her healing process because if she is not able to meet her basic needs of food and shelter it is very likely she will go back into a life of survival sex work.
Sharing hope,
Selah Davenport
Operations Manager
Free The Girls
Thank you so much for including Sisterhood Soap in your collection! There is nothing like witnessing women, whose whole lives were destroyed by ISIS, empowered to rebuild their lives through the work of their hands. These women first learned they were strong by surviving the worst. They are learning again that they are strong by creating businesses that support their families.
Ten Thousand Villages is an online and brick and mortar retail option that solely offers fair trade products. Gorgeous stuff from housewares to soaps to coffee to jewelry.
http://Www.Tenthousandvillages.com
Sseko Designs is a great choice for moms! They empower young women in Uganda by providing them with the work they need to save up for college. Lovely stuff, too!
Here’s a link to their shop! http://ssekodesigns.com/shop?acc=cfcd208495d565ef66e7dff9f98764da
Kurandza works to empower women in Africa through education and employment opportunities. The company strives to increase economic opportunity for the women, helping their children have brighter futures. In addition to receiving fair wages for their work, profits from sales go back to this community to fund development projects. Founded by the beautiful Elisabetta Colabianchi, Kurandza was born while she was working with the Peace Corps as a Community Health Volunteer.
http://www.kurandza.com
Amazima.org is a haven to reduce women in poverty by providing meaningful work making jewelry from paper to sustain their families. Started by Katie Davis while on a mission trip to Uganda, Amazina helps orphaned children have a loving home and education.
HOPE International
We look for areas where our services can make a tremendous difference—places where poverty is stifling dreams and opportunities are scarce. With these goals in mind, we launch HOPE-managed programs or partner with existing organizations.
The HOPE network consists of microfinance institutions and savings and credit associations throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
https://www.hopeinternational.org
This post nearly made me cry. It’s so encouraging to see how many companies there are to help these women and that we can actively help them, too. What a beautiful way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Thank you for sharing these!
http://www.thebusinessofblooming.com
Selfish Mother tees and sweaters are gorgeous and profits go to various women’s charities. See shop.selfishmother.com
ThankYou is a company that 100% of their profit goes toward providing clean water and health care to communities in need. You can track your proceeds once you have purchased any of their products to see exactly where your money is going. These guys are changing the world and doing it ethically and sustainably. Check them out at thankyou.co