ที่มา/ความสำคัญโครงการ :

In Thailand, more than 4 in 10 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. Violence against women is a widespread phenomenon in Thailand, however it is often kept silent; indeed half of the victims never told anyone about it (WHO 2005).

Domestic violence occurs in all social and economic classes, however women living in poverty are more likely to experience abuse and have fewer resources to escape violent relationships. By getting out of poverty and becoming economically independent, women can better resist domestic violence and assert their rights.

Since 1982, the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) has helped over 53,000 women and children by offering them counselling services, shelter, medical care, psychological support and vocational trainings. The project beneficiaries are victims of domestic violence and rape, teenagers with unwanted pregnancies and HIV-positive women.

What about providing these women with the means to regain self-confidence, improve their status and achieve success?

ประโยชน์ของโครงการ :

By undertaking the trainings and creating valuable handicrafts:

1) In the short-term, the women trained can overcome their trauma and re-gain self-esteem

2) In the medium-term, they acquire professional skills and earn an income

3) In the long-term, they achieve economic independence that will also benefit their children, impacting society at large as they reinvest 90% of their income in their family and community (Rizzoli, 2007)

กิจกรรมที่จะดำเนินโครงการ :

Our project aims at launching a social enterprise to empower vulnerable women by offering them innovative trainings in handicrafts adapted to their needs, skills and capabilities.

Why handicrafts?

Because any woman can do it even if she is illiterate or has never worked before
Because engaging in a creative process facilitates their mental recovery and enables them to regain self-confidence and dignity by creating valuable items
Because by purchasing the handicrafts, socially-conscious customers enable women to get professional skills, to receive an income and to work in a safe environment

Why are they innovative?

Because they are extremely flexible in terms of duration and teaching method, depending on the trainees’ needs. Women stay in the shelters from one month up to one year depending on their physical and psychological condition. The training will thus be adapted to their length of stay and their situation on a case-by-case basis. For instance, a tie and dye training session lasts only one day and trainees can start producing colourful scarves after a few hours; whereas trainings in embroideries take several weeks and require additional competencies.

Each product is handmade, unique and encloses the story of the person who crafted it. A new collection of products designed by a famous fashion-designer, inspired by traditional Thai Lanna culture and made from recycled materials will be launched in January 2015. And if you participate to our project, you will get the chance to receive one of these.

Thanks to your contribution, we will fund trainings for the women staying in the shelters. Reaching our goal of 30,000 BHT would enable us to hire a teacher for one year, to propose new trainings (such as jewellery-making, knitting, batik) and thus to diversify the products and increase our sales.

Your support will be crucial to launch our social enterprise and enable this sustainable process to start. According to Professor Mohammed Yunus, “one charity euro has only one life, while a social business euro can be invested over and over again”. All the profits of the social enterprise will be entirely reinvested into the business to engage more and more women.

To thank you for your involvement in the social enterprise, the women trained will send you a reward made with love from Thailand.

Follow our project’s evolution on facebook or on our website, if you want to get involved or to receive additional information on the project, please do not hesitate to contact us.

สมาชิกภายในทีม :

Chloé Chambraud

Project Manager

Expertise: International development, Women’s Empowerment

chloe@empow-her.fr

Luisa De Simone

Project Manager

Expertise : Strategic management

luisa@empow-her.fr

Sali Sasaki

Fashion Designer

Aroonee Sirivadhna

Executive Director APSW

00 662 929-2301-07

admin@apsw-thailand.org

ภาคี :

Empow’Her

Lists	Costs (USD/person)	No.	Price (USD)
1.Half-day training 1.1 Raw material (for instance zippers, sewing threads, needles, brushes, etc.) 1.2 Training guide 1.3 Trainer	25 5 5 20	12	300
2.Full-day training 2.1 Raw material (for instance zippers, sewing threads, needles, brushes, etc.) 2.2 Training guide 2.3 Trainer	50 5 5 40	12	600
3. Operation (raise fund at Taejai)			100
Total			1,000

การศึกษา

Cover

A social enterprise to empower underprivileged women