Connecting the world: the power of digital trade

In their work around the globe, Catherine Shimony and her partner, Joan Shifrin, saw many women artisans in need. “We saw beautiful products women were making but they often didn’t have a market to sell them in, even locally. Beautiful products languished,” Shifrin explains.

So they founded Global Goods Partners to help female artisans reach a global audience. Since launching back in 2005, GGP has partnered with more than 60 artisan groups in countries throughout Africa, the Americas, and Asia.

“What we brought to the partnership was market access. Global Goods Partners is all about poverty alleviation, and social justice … bringing the global economy to the most vulnerable of populations. Most vulnerable being women and children,” Shimony says.

One example of their work? Kandahar Treasure in Afghanistan, with whom GGP has collaborated for a decade. Many of the Afghan women involved in the Kandahar Treasure group are widows. Gathering and embroidering beautiful fabrics gives them a chance to earn money for their families.

Watch the video above to see how digital trade works as a game-changer for women around the world.

Watch our recent livestream discussion on remittances and other tools for economic empowerment.