interview / 18 / prime Présenté par / Presented by
interview NOTRE MODÈLE D'ENTREPRISE SOCIALEMENT RESPONSABLE, A PERMIS D’AMÉLIORER LA RÉSILIENCE ET LA QUALITÉ DE VIE DES FEMMES MARGINALISÉES DE MADAGASCAR THROUGH OUR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS MODEL, WE HAVE IMPROVED THE RESILIENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF MARGINALISED WOMEN IN MADAGASCAR Every accessory from Made For a Woman is made by a woman. What difference has it made for the women you employ in Madagascar over the past four years? How important is sustainability in manufacture to you? Through our socially responsible business model, we have improved the resilience and quality of life of marginalised women in Madagascar thanks to fair and equitable remuneration, a safe work environment, and a place where they can express themselves and feel empowered. We work with the Ministry of Population as well as local grassroots organisations in order to reach out to women in at-risk environments, to provide them with the necessary professional training and resources, and to welcome them in our atelier, where we currently employ over 350 artisans. Out of our current staff, 47 percent are survivors of gender-based violence in and out of their home. 7 percent of them still live in an at-risk household, and 55 percent are single mothers and the sole providers for their families. Only 39 percent of them own their home, and 91 percent have no access to running water outside of the atelier. To support them, we provide salaries that are 81 percent above minimum wage and 34 percent above our direct competitors, as well as 55 percent over the local living wage. This is especially important, as according to UNICEF women reinvest 90 percent of their wages into their families and communities (whereas men only tend to reinvest around 40 percent). This creates a ripple effect on the most vulnerable communities, resulting in long-term socioeconomic benefits. We also focus on providing optimal working conditions, following the International Labor Organisation's best practices, and maximising productivity through flexible hours (7.5 working hours a day on average, versus 14-16 for most companies in the fashion industry). We support our artisans as they reach their full potentials by offering them education opportunities including IT classes, French classes, literacy classes, professional development workshops and financial literacy. We invest heavily in management and leadership skills so that they have the opportunity to build a career for themselves, grow within the company, and help educate more women as we expand the scope of our actions. We also make healthcare accessible and free, by providing medical care where needed, plus family planning and contraception, women's health, hygiene and nutrition workshops, daily balanced meals, group therapy sessions and daily mood tracking to ensure that their needs are met, as well as team bonding experiences like Zumba classes. Our childcare area ensures that mothers do not have to pick between caring for their children and having a career, which improves productivity by cutting on sick days and increasing employee loyalty. In a country like Madagascar, where malnutrition is widespread and disproportionately affects mothers and children, this is especially important because it allows mothers to continue breastfeeding their children, sharply reducing the malnutrition rate and the risk of death for children under the age of five. At the moment, we have around 40 children coming to our atelier every day, where they are looked after by expert kindergarten teachers. To support moms, we also take care of children's school fees and healthcare expenses. Finally, we focus on awareness-raising activities on key topics such as gender-based violence and the importance of empowering women in developing countries by creating partnerships with local and international organisations to achieve our common goals. online at www.primemedia.international / 19