After reading the article "Shop Right" in the December issue of Elle, I was surprised to find out that Kate Spade not only employs women in war-torn countries like Bosnia but also takes part in educating them. For several years now Kate Spade has been working with the organization, Women for Women International (WfWI), who educate women on their legal and reproductive rights, offer counseling, job training, and provide loans. These women have lost their husbands, children, have been raped, and have lost all financial means. WfWI and Kate Spade now employ over 300 Bosnian women who create mittens, hats, and scarves for the Kate Spade brand. They earn double the wages they would typically make working elsewhere in the region. The women use old-fashioned techniques to create the quality pieces that are rarely seen in a now factory based industry. The project has been such a success that Kate Spade plans to expand their workforce next year, taking on more women and expanding to Rwanda.
(Slowey, Anne. "Shop Right." Elle. Dec. 2009: 196-199.)
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