Women's Rights through Fair Trade at L-Arka

On Wednesday 8th March, the volunteers of the Maltese fair trade cooperative are promoting a series of small initiatives to highlight the advantages of fair trade for women in the Global South. The activities at the L-Arka Fair Trade Shop, 306, St. Paul Street, Valletta, will focus on "Empowering women to claim their rights through fair trade" and are being coordinated by Maltese and other European volunteers.

Two videos about how women are claiming their rights through fair trade will be shown during the day. And free leaflets will be distributed about how women are moving from marginalisation to empowerment through the fair trade network. As consumers, the general public can use its spending power to support women associations that are marginalised because of the current unfair world trading system. Shopping fair trade products is one way of doing so.

There will also be free sampling of fair trade products.

The world shop L-Arka is open between 9.00am and 1.00pm and between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South. Fair Trade is more than just trading: it proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first.

Fair trade workers in Sri Lanka making products available in Malta too. Fair trade proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. (Photos by Isabelle Zammit in Sri Lanka)

Simona Lippi

L-Arka volunteer