The Geography of Women's Economic Opportunity

The treatment of women reflects a society’s commitment to equality and social justice. But it also reflects its ability to harness human capital, advance to innovative frontiers and generate higher levels of economic prosperity for all members.

This eye-opening article explores the Geography of Women’s Economic Opportunity. 

Most Zimbabweans have few economic opportunities, but women face more barriers than men.  And they are often the ones left to provide for children, parents, and other relatives. 

This map shows how countries rank in Gender Equity: 

 

Do you see Zimbabwe?  It’s there, in the gold color, inside the black circle.  Zimbabwe scores very low in education, economic participation, and empowerment of women.  On all of the maps in this study, one thing is clear: "ocieties which emphasize tolerance, individual autonomy and self-expression over hierarchical, authoritarian values also have higher levels of economic development." For countries to prosper, they must encourage the participation of women in the business environment.  We believe that women are the key to economic and societal success.  The women of Zimbags are proving that one bag at a time.     

Fresh Start: Art for Your Monday....

Hi there! The last few weeks have been very busy for us Happy Bag Elves here at Zimbags, but we couldn't wait to share this with you...

Zimbags art is now available for purchase!

Do you have enough reusable bags right now? Are you looking for some artwork for empty walls in your house? Do you need some beautiful colors and patterns for a quilt you are working on? Do you just want to own some hand painted Zimbabwean art? Well, now you can.

The same artwork that is featured on our Zimbags is now available on its own. Visit the Zimbags webstore to purchase yours today. Choose from Safari Animals, Cultural Scenes, or Traditional Designs (click here to see some of the artwork). The colors are vivid and bright and the paintings are all done in the Sadza technique.

Each piece is completely hand painted and original. No two are the same. And the proceeds from each 7" x 7" piece of artwork goes directly back to women artists in Zimbabwe who are overcoming extreme poverty. Your purchase helps provide sustainable jobs and income for women living and raising families on less than $1 a day.

What a great combo ... art and helping women.


Here are some of my favorite pieces:




Do you have a favorite? Share it with us!

When you order your Zimart, feel free to shoot us an email at contact@zimbags.org if you have a specific color or design you are itching to own. We will do our best to make it happen. As Happy Bag Elves, we love to grant wishes.

Have a happy Monday,

The Happy Bag Elves

World Wide: It's all about the ladies.

Zimbags mission is to empowering women to rise above extreme poverty. We work with women artists who are raising children, caring for parents and siblings, taking in orphans, abandoned by partners. Women who are involved in the lives of a whole web of people, who can affect real change. Often women throughout the world are denied access to schooling and find themselves married young and raising more children than they have money to feed, clothe, and send to school. It is a cycle that can be stopped. When a woman is empowered through education and employment, it empowers and enables the people in their lives to thrive.

Here are a few articles about issues effecting women throughout the world:

Empowering Women & Girls

"Though worldwide, women and girls have made some significant gains, serious problems persist. Violence against women and girls, inadequate or more expensive healthcare, forced marriage, declines in maternal health, sex trafficking, and the inability to access funding for economic opportunities and education are just a few. The consequence of not focusing on empowering women and girls -- particularly in developing nations, totalitarian regimes, and war-ravaged regions, is that these nations won't realize the substantial gains and returns they would have, if they had invested in girls and women."

The Goals World Leaders Like to Achieve

"To solve women's issues globally, policy makers and educators must focus on reducing poverty and increasing education rates in those countries reporting the highest levels of violence against women."

In Zimbabwe, 80% of the population is unemployed. Women find themselves left with children, no income, limited resources, and few options. If we don't do something to reverse the slide into poverty, a whole generation will be denied education and the cycle will start again.

What's going in Zimbabwe right now? Here are a few updates:

-on the Public Meetings about the Constitution in Zimbabwe.

-on a charity started in Zimbabwe by Richard Branson. ("Zimbabwe is considered to be one of the most difficult nations in Africa to help. Its gross domestic product has fallen to $1.8 billion from a peak of $13 billion, its official unemployment rate is 90 percent and it president, Robert Mugabe, is notorious for repression of his political opponents." and we support people and organizations that are willing to help this beautiful nation. Here's the link to Enterprise Zimbabwe - check it out.)


We hope this helps you to stay informed about what's going on. We know it's hard to find the time to find out what's going on in the world, so we are trying to help. Let us know if you have any links you would like to share.

Thanks,
The Happy Bag Elves

Thursday: In the News....

(Photo from the NYT)

President Obama convened a forum this week to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of 17 African nations, but he did not invite a single African leader to help him do so.

....

When asked about President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Mr. Obama told the young people at the forum, “I’ll be honest with you — I’m heartbroken when I see what’s happened in Zimbabwe. I think Mugabe is an example of a leader who came in as a liberation fighter and — I’m just going to be very blunt — I do not see him serving his people well. And the abuses, the human rights abuses, the violence that’s been perpetrated against opposition leaders I think is terrible.”

....

“By refusing to invite them, and welcoming them in Washington, Obama is clearly telling them, ‘If you want to engage with us, you have to behave,’ ” said Mamadou Diouf, director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University.

Read the whole article here.

Exciting & New!

Here at Zimbags we are working on some exciting new products that showcase the beautiful artwork of our women artists. We are working hard to re-launch our store so that you can be part of Zimbags mission to empower women to overcome extreme poverty.

Soon we hope to share our new products, revamped website, and new ways to get involved.

Stay tuned for periodic updates and re-launch date.

Thanks,
The Zimbags Team

Poverty is the worst form of violence.

The Numbers


11,000,000: There are over 11 million children in Sub Saharan Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS.

4,000,000: The UN predicts the number of people needing urgent food assistance will increase to 4 million in the first three months of 2008.

5000%: Zimbabwe’s current inflation rate, a world record.

90%: Percentage of Zimbabwe’s population is living on less than $1 a day – this often means they are living on pennies.

70%: Percentage of deaths in children under 5 in Zimbabwe that are caused by HIV/AIDS.

35: The life expectancy for women in Zimbabwe. 35 and falling.

20%: In Zimbabwe, more than 20% of young women are infected with HIV/AIDS. Poverty perpetuates this disease as women turn to the sex industry for money, contraceptives become scare, medicines are too expensive, mothers do not get prenatal care, education is rare, and sexual violence rates increase. HIV/AIDS is then passed onto their children.

1%: At this moment, only a fraction of 1% of the population can afford one meal a day.

But the statistics only get us so far.

Millions of people in Zimbabwe need your help: finding a solution to their hunger, healing their ailments, earning a living wage, and mending their families, community, and country.

These women, and other women worldwide, deserve to live past their 35th birthday.

It is the right of every person to earn a living wage. It is the right of every person to have access to healthcare. It is the right of every person to live.

Sometimes the lack of substantive freedoms relates directly to economic poverty, which robs people of the freedom to satisfy hunger, or to achieve sufficient nutrition, or to obtain remedies for treatable illnesses, or the opportunity to be adequately clothed or sheltered, or to enjoy clean water or sanitary facilities.
Amartya Sen
“Development as Freedom”

There is no doubt that the only correct way to love the poor will be to struggle for their liberation. Their liberation will consist, first and foremost, in their liberation at the most elementary level – that of their simple, physical life, which is what is at stake in the present situation.
Father Sobrino

God is inflexibly opposed to evil in any form. The root of the downfall and the misfortune of humanity comes from the deliberate opposition to truth, which is the fundamental reality of God and of human beings.
Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi