Fair Anita: Authenticity & Dignity
This Pride Month, we're highlighting the queer-woman-owned brand Fair Anita. Working with artisans across 9 countries, Fair Anita produces beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories. However, it didn't start so widespread. Behind the company is an inspiring story, and it all begins with the owner, Joy McBrien.
Before reading on, we encourage you to listen to Joy talk about her experience here.
After a harrowing experience of sexual assault at just 18-years-old, Joy wanted to connect with other women who had been through the same. She didn't just want to meet them; she wanted to invest in the communities where it was happening the most. So, she went to where the rate was the highest: Peru.
In Peru, she met a social worker named Señora Anita, the namesake of Fair Anita. She taught Joy about economic development on the ground and just how much change can happen when women have the opportunity.
After learning that financial insecurity was the number one reason women stayed in abusive partnerships, Joy was fueled to find a way for women to earn an independent income. From these experiences, people, and education, Fair Anita began.
Only 11 years after starting, Fair Anita now partners with about 8,000 talented artisan partners across 9 countries, providing employment and income to people who need it. We asked Joy how, through her experiences, she has witnessed the intersection of Fair Trade and Pride.
"Fair trade honors the full humanity of makers, unlike typical large-scale supply chains that merely value efficient and cost-effective production," Joy told us.
She continues, "Pride celebrates the fullness of our identities: who we love, how we interact with the world, and the deep truths we know about ourselves. This is the kind of world I want to live in: where individuals have the freedom to explore the many facets of their identities, where differences are honored and celebrated, and where we're each able to share our unique contributions for the greater good."
This celebration of differences and truths can be seen in Fair Anita products. Fun shapes, bright colors, and unique pieces that look great on anyone. The cherry on top is what Joy wrote next: "Fair trade and Pride both hold space for us to live authentically and with dignity." Exactly what she hoped to bring to women and artisans around the globe, and is successfully doing today.
Shop Fair Anita at Latitudes Fair Trade anytime. Wear your support and check out the Pride Palm Fan and Radiant Rainbow Earrings. Store all your jewelry on the go with their handcrafted Jewelry Rolls. Your purchase creates jobs for the many women who have found a home with Fair Anita and supports the fight against domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Fair Anita shows us that with love, determination, and being true to yourself, anything is possible, no matter where you start or how the story begins.
Written by Marketing & Communications Manager: Emma Sue Larramore.