Women Forward International

Empowering india's artisan women:in 2024, our wfi team partnered with graduate students at the parsons school of design to work to safeguard an important aspect of india's cultural heritage: the ancient art of himroo. Together with the women's foreign policy group and the us-india friendship alliance we curated a gallery event in new york for a luxury fashion brand whose western facing name is zarizar.the export of textiles is integral to the indian economy, and skilled artisans are critical to that success. Given appropriate support, independent women weavers can continue to be the vital core of that workforce, maintaining a valued heritage as it provides livelihood for their families. This project demonstrates how a unique partnership can expand this cottage industry, which produces sustainable world class, "slow fashion" products, for the benefit of india, women, and style-conscious customers in the united states.it is estimated that by intensively training cohorts of twenty-five women over a six-week to two-month period, around three hundred new skilled artisans can enter the district workforce at the apprentice level per year. A considerable number of these women will have likely been "unpaid weavers" in their home. In addition, the center plans to be able to upskill and reskill experienced weavers.through donor support and upon completion of the research study in phase one of this project, wfi is addressing the need for highly skilled women weavers in rural regions of india who can contribute to the economic wellbeing of their families, their community, and the country. These women safeguard an important aspect of india's cultural heritage: the modernization of a centuries-old process that needs to have a new audience. Wfi together with our university teams and partners on the ground have laid the foundation for a comprehensive, sustainable training center in rural india.

Online education for afghan women in afghanistanone of the most pressing challenges facing afghan women today is the inability to access education and career opportunities. The absence of formalized education for an entire generation of half the afghan population presents major challenges to the country's ability to progress, and innovative solutions need to be implemented to effect change.wfi's lynn university team has developed an online format and is working with our partners at icohere to create the foundation for a virtual college preparatory school in afghanistan, catering specifically to women. It began in 2024 with the construction of a computer laboratory in herat, fully outfitted for online learning. A cohort of 20 women is now ready to begin its first leadership training class, tailored specifically to the needs of afghan women. Over the course of the next three years, wfi will work with lynn university and its partners on the ground in afghanistan to develop online courses and employment skills mentoring that enable afghan women to become self-reliant and contribute their talents to the world. These courses will consist of six field-specific majors designed to equip women with the skills and tools needed to join the afghan workforce. The research has demonstrated that journalism, nursing, technical education training, entrepreneurship, political science, and physiology are the optimal career options for afghan women in the near future. As such, these majors form the core of the curriculum deliverable. In addition, wfi is partnering with corporations providing mentorship opportunities and job networking. Given the current political and social insecurity in afghanistan, this project takes into account the many challenges that will be faced in an ever-changing and often dangerous sociopolitical context, particularly as it pertains to women's education.

Strategic marketing for jewelry and woven accessories made by women artisans in afghanistan and myanmar how can we establish a greater market presence for afghan and burmese jewelry and woven accessories in the united states in order to generate sales and contribute to the continued support and income of artisans? How would this look in a traditional retail setting as well as online?in 2024, wfi curated a partnership between turquoise mountain and the parsons school of design to channel the power of both institutions towards uplifting the lives of women artisans in afghanistan and mynmar. Together we will ensure fair wages, learning opportunities, and new marketing advancements for women entrepreneurs and artisans in these countries. Elements of the project may include:- market segmentation- social values and sustainability- competitive analysis- product positioning- marketing and messaging strategies- storytelling turquoise mountain's mission is to bring positive social impact through heritage and revitalization of traditional craftsmanship, creating jobs, skills and a renewed sense of pride for artisans and their communities. With nearly two decades of experience in supporting artisans to develop their products and bring craftsmanship to international markets, turquoise mountain has a track record of creating sustainable incomes for artisans in afghanistan, myanmar, and across middle east. To complement our artisan training and support artisans' families, we also provide a holistic programme of community support, including healthcare and education. Building markets for heritage jewelry and woven accessories forms a core part of turquoise mountain's work in supporting women artisans in both afghanistan and burma, areas affected by conflict and significant social challenge. For this project, teams of students from the strategic design and management bba program at parsons school of design researched and developed a detailed understanding of the heritage and production context, and built a strategic marketing approach that identified areas for further product development, with viable and meaningful positioning, pricing, promotion, and routes to market and sales for turquoise mountain products. The project supported both individual women artisans and businesses in market alignment, continuing production and accessing clients and customers - ultimately enabling for their heritage, designs, technical skills and craftsmanship to be appreciated and valued around the world. $18,612 including grants of 6,150 empowering international students in the united states women forward international is delighted to partner high schools in california 2023-2026 with the woven teaching program of the woven foundation, whose goal is to "help create a world that is more just and empathetic." the woven teaching program "broadens access to human rights as outlined in the universal declaration of human rights at all levels of society around the world."a large percentage of california students are "international." that is, this is the first year they are in the u.s. Often they need extra help finding their bearings, feeling welcome in a new culture, and learning english. In particular, many of these newcomers are from afghanistan, and many of them are girls. In collaboration with faculty from our pilot school in california, and the woven teaching experts, wfi has created a program that includes original theatre and poetry workshops and trainings for students from the woven teaching "human rights are for everyone" manual. Wfi is also engaging the students with university student mentors from our teams around the world, including our research teams in afghanistan. The newcomer students have the opportunity to practice their english through wfi's artistic projects on the theme of human rights, including gender equality, through a unique film project curated by wfi and our advisor mentors from the united states, latin america, and afghanistan.