Meet Your Maker: Fair Anita
She taught us the power of women investing in other women, and it is her leadership that inspired Fair Anita.
Meet Fair Anita, an ethically-made, affordable fair trade brand and a regular vendor at Minneapolis Craft Market. Our favorite thing about Fair Anita (apart from how cute their jewelry is!) is their commitment to transparent and fair business relationships with the 8,000 women artisans they partner with in 9 countries around the world.
MEET ANITA
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Fair Anita team members at our markets must be Anita, but it’s actually Ana, or ‘Senora Anita’ (right) a social worker in Chimbote, Peru. Chimbote is a town of nearly 400,000 people, where 80% of the population lives in extreme poverty and 70% of women report having experienced domestic violence.
“Ana makes each individual feel cared for, looking after everyone's needs and treating everyone fairly. Ana taught us that when you improve a woman's life, her family and community improves right along with her.” Says Fair Anita founder, Joy McBrien.
Fair Anita began in 2009, when Joy was working in Chimbote on a project to build a women’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence. Joy learned from the women there that stable jobs are an essential cornerstone to escaping violent and abusive situations. Fair Anita was born out of the stories Joy heard in Chimbote, and to this day their work remains grounded in supporting women’s resilience through responsive business relationships.
They are building a business in the most ethical way they can dream up. That's why:
Their products are always fair trade, made in ethical working conditions, where their female artisan partners are paid 2-3x minimum wage plus health insurance and educational scholarships.
They’re striving to be as eco-friendly as a consumer-driven brand can be. Nearly all of their products are made from recycled materials, and they offset their carbon footprint by funding and supporting anti-climate change initiatives with their artisan partners around the world.
They source all materials in the local communities where their products are handmade. This stimulates the local economy, and gives them the fun challenge to figure out how to work with foreign recycled materials.
They value consent in storytelling. Though their products are made by kick-a** women around the world, they don't always talk about them a ton. They only share stories of women who have given them full permission to talk about how awesome they are!
ETHIOPIA COLLECTION
Featuring recycled metals, leather and beadwork
Designed right here in Minneapolis, each of Fair Anita’s jewelry collections have unique stories behind them. The Fierce Betty Artillery Bracelet (left) is made out of upcycled leather and recycled bullet casings by women in Ethiopia.
Learn more about Fair Anita’s incredible creativity and social enterprise model here, or by watching Joy McBrien's TEDx talk on "How Women Rise" to hear more about the inspiration behind starting their fair-trade empire.
Photo: Darin Kamnetz