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.