Pathways to autonomy: tzotzil women's empowerment

On the last 3 months the young women artisans have continued with their business training processes, focusing on the development of skills and capacities that allow them to strengthen they handcraft activity and to reduce the digital gap.

In aliance with the Institute of Training and Technological Linkage of the State of Chiapas, whom objetive is provide and promote work training in the state of Chiapas seeking to improve the quality of the working skils to make the proper vinculation with labour market, and cover the needs of regional, state and national development. 14 craftwomen concluded the cutting and tailoring workshop focused on the elaboration of skirts and they received an official certificate that endorses the knowledge acquired.

This workshop allows them in first place to improve the total quality of their products and also to develop new skills to insert themselves into the labor market in new conditions, in case they so decide.

Testimony:
I am very happy to take the cutting and tailoring workshop, I had never worked on a sewing machine, at first I was a little scared, but now I am not. I am happy because in the course I learned to make 3 types of skirts. In the last workshops I bought my fabric and made 3 skirts for my girls, I feel very happy to be learning. 

On the other hand, the pandemic evidenced the existing digital gap, due the mobility restrictions, artisans remained incommunicado in their communities, the lack of infrastructure and knowledge about the use of information technologies did not allow artisans to keep in touch with their support networks and their clients to continue generating income.

Due to this need, a basic computer trainging course was taught at the Artisan Development Center, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, in which 16 artisans from 7 Social Enterprises of Women Artisans participated.

This course was of great importance for the artisans since it allowed them to have the basic knowledge about the use of the computer and at the end they received an official certificate that endorses the knowledge acquired.

Testimony:
I feel very happy to participate in the computer course at CENDA, the instructor has patience for us because we learn slowly and we are afraid to press the computer keys. In my case, I had never had a computer nearby and I did not imagine that one day I would be using it. Now I see that it is very necessary to learn and it can help us a lot as artisans to communicate, publicize our products and help our children in their education.

As for the generation of income, the artisans have continued to work from their homes through orders made by the Binational Network and marketed in www.matat.org.

Reporte: Fortalecimiento de habilidades para lograr la calidad total

Durante los últimos 3 meses la Red Binacional de Mujeres Artesanas se ha enfocado en continuar con sus programas de capacitación y acompañamiento cuidando estrictamente las medidas de seguridad establecidas en el Protocolo de Seguridad Sanitaria.

Para ello las artesanas que participan en el Programa de Formación Empresarial iniciaron un proceso de capacitación en sus comunidades, específicamente en corte y confección, capacitando a un total de 14 artesanas en el uso y manejo de la maquina recta y el uso de patrones para estandarizar las tallas de las blusas que realizan con la finalidad de crecer las capacidades productivas en sus empresas.

 Con la finalidad de mitigar los riesgos de contagio del SARS-COV-2 en las comunidades se tienen las siguientes medidas: uso de cubrebocas, sana distancia, limpieza y distinción de las máquinas de coses y demás herramientas de capacitación.

En el mes de junio, la Red Binacional de Mujeres Artesanas firmo un Convenio de Colaboración con el Instituto de Capacitación y Vinculación Tecnológica del Estado de Chiapas ICATECH, para establecer un programa de corte y confección en el Centro de Desarrollo Artesanal ubicado en San Cristóbal de las Casas, en el que participan 14 artesanas, al finalizar el programa recibirán una certificación oficial que avale los conocimientos y habilidades desarrolladas.

 Por otra parte, se ha continuado con la estrategia de reactivación económica por el COVID-19. Como parte del sistema de la Red Binacional, se ha impulsado la producción de nuevas colecciones integrando aspectos de la moda y calidad total con la finalidad de que las mujeres artesanas continúen generando ingresos desde sus hogares y por lo tanto sus procesos de empoderamiento económico.

Las colecciones artesanales se encuentran disponibles en la tienda en línea de la Red Binacional www.matat.org

 Report: Strengthening of skills and total quality

Pathways to autonomy: tzotzil women's empowerment

During the past 3 months, the Binational Network of Artisan Women has focused its efforts on continuing with the training and accompaniment programs, with strictly takingcare of the security measures established in the Sanitary Security Protocol.

For this, the artisans who participate in the Business Training Program began a training process in their communities, specifically in tailoring, training a total of 14 artisans in the use of the sewing machine and the use of patterns to standardize the sizes of the blouses that they make in order to grow the productive capacities in their companies.

In order to mitigate the risks of contagion of SARS-COV-2 in the communities, the following measures are taken: use of face masks, healthy distance, cleanliness and distinction of sewing machines and other training tools.

In June, the Binational Network of Artisan Women signed a Collaboration Agreement with the Institute for Training and Technological Linkage of the State of Chiapas ICATECH, to establish a tailoring program at the Artisan Development Center located in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in which 14 artisans participate, at the end of the program will receive an official certification that endorses the knowledge and skills developed.

On the other hand, the strategy of economic reactivation due to COVID-19 has continued. As part of the Binational Network system, the production of new collections has been promoted, integrating aspects of fashion and total quality to continue the generation of income for the women artisans,  from their homes and therefore their economic empowerment processes.

The artisan collections are available in the online store of the Binational Network www.matat.org

• Report_June_2021_Global_Giving_Ingles.pdf (PDF)
  
• Reporte_Junio_2021._Global_Giving_Espanol.pdf (PDF)