The Little Market & Women in Peru

Everywhere I travel, I’m always struck by the industrious, entrepreneurial women I meet.  Meeting women in Peru was no exception.  And when I found out that a little start-up founded by two women right here in the U.S. was working to support & showcase the work of female artisans around the world: I knew I had to get involved.  

“A Non-Profit Founded by Women to Empower Women”

Here, you’ll learn all about a company called the Little Market, founded by Lauren Conrad & Hannah Skvarla, that supports female artisans around the world by offering their goods to a global market.  The customer receives unique, hand-crafted items from all corners of the globe, while these female artisans receive better wages, & the ability to preserve their unique traditions of craftsmanship for future generations ~ instead of letting them slip into obscurity.  

In short: it’s a WIN-WIN.

Lauren Conrad (aka “LC” from Laguna Beach” & Hannah Skvarla, co-founders of the Little Market.

Little Market Mission Statement

“We seek to empower women artisans to rise above poverty & support their families. Our handmade goods showcase the artisans’ traditional skills, & their dedication to preserving their artisanal techniques. We source all of the artisans’ products ethically, & practice fair trade principles. We acknowledge the inter-dependency of people around the world & our responsibility to help others. “

Come walk down this dusty road that leads to the women of the world…

Meet the Women in Peru…

This video is from my own travels in Peru, & shows the women & children I met on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.

Meet the Little Market…

This video takes you behind-the-scenes of the Little Market’s work in Guatemala, & introduces you to some of the female artisans they work with.  And yes, the Lauren who co-founded the Little Market is the Lauren Conrad (“LC”) of former reality TV-fame, on “Laguna Beach” & “The Hills.”  

Clearly she has embarked upon an entirely different, & likely more rewarding, chapter in her life.

Women in Peru ~ Statistics

Peru ranks 80th out of 144 countries in terms of gender equality, according to the 2016 Global Gender Gap report.  Though traditional Andean culture is notably egalitarian (women are allowed to inherit property, unlike in many parts of the world), this changed noticeably after the Spanish conquered the Incan Empire in 1572.  Since then, Peruvian society has become more patriarchal, & some would say, more machista.  

Add to that Peru’s 20-year internal, armed conflict that lasted from 1980-2000, which left over 70,000 people dead; others affected by torture & rape.  Though the country is showing increasing economic progress, & the armed conflict has ended, Peru still suffers from widespread inequality, discrimination, & racism.  

Many of these problems affect children & women in Peru to a greater extent.  For instance, the female literacy rate in Peru is 92%, compared to 97% for men.  Only 47% of females over the age of 25 have received secondary education (as of 2010).  These numbers will likely be changing soon ~ as currently, there are more women enrolled in education programs than men, in Peru.  During the armed conflict, more than 300,000 rural women were forcibly sterilized as part of a campaign to “end poverty.”  

Women in Peru who are uneducated & living in rural areas are much more likely to be affected by these injustices.  And these are exactly the women that the Little Market seeks to reach.

Peruvian women are less likely to travel than their men, & thus, are less likely to speak Spanish, the national language.  This makes them more socially isolated, and less likely to interact with outsiders or foreigners.  I witnessed this personally throughout my travels in Peru.  The men are typically the ones who work in cities & as tour guides (usually the higher-paying jobs).  While the women typically work in the home & on farms.  This lack of ability to travel, & inability to speak with outsiders, tends to keep Peruvian women firmly “in their places.“

I can’t tell you how many times I saw Peruvian women, wearing traditional clothing, headed straight up steep mountains carrying HUGE sack on their backs ~ filled with food, clothing, & sometimes even children too.  

Their sheer physical strength & stoicism floored me.  

The quintessential image I have of Peruvian woman is of them climbing in the Andes mountains, with huge sacks on their backs.

Another problem faced by women in Peru is no different than what women face in other parts of the world: dramatic wage inequality.  For the same work, a woman will earn $8,661 (in USD) vs. her male Peruvian counterparts, who will earn $15,323 USD.  

So, for the same work, a woman will earn nearly half what a man will, for doing the same job.  

How Can You Help?

I believe that by empowering women in other countries, we empower ourselves.  By supporting other women, we support ourselves.  By strengthening other women, we strengthen ourselves.  Helping other women create financial security & independence for themselves is a cause that has the power to effect women all over the world. 

And the ripple effects of that are immeasurable.  

“If you really want to change a culture to empower women improve basic hygiene and health care and fight high rates of infant mortality the answer is to educate girls.” 

 

― Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea

The goods you’ll find on the Little Market’s website range from cute tote bags to stuffed animals, beach bags & beach towels, to hats, quilts, & blankets.  And we all know how it feels to purchase goods in another country ~ to have purchased something that has more meaning than our latest Target purchase.  

Often times, it’s more special because we know whose hands have made that item.  And that makes it feel much more personal. 

Meet Peruvian Female Artisans!

Manuela Ramos & Naguska are two of the women artisans the Little Market works with in Peru.  Manuela creates 100% alpaca hats, mittens, & dolls out of Puno, Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  Naguska founded an export company in 1997 that creates job opportunities for fellow artisans in Peru.

Support Female Artisans from Peru

By purchasing handmade crafts from the Little Market’s Peruvian Collection ~ you’re not only bringing beautifully crafted work into your home, but you’re directly affecting the lives of women in Peru.  

And if you’ve ever visited this country & been affected by it, as I have, this is no small thing.

xoxo Noelia