How e-commerce and the creator economy can help women's employment
Over the past century women won equal rights with men in many countries, but the gap has not closed at work, where women still trail men in income and position. Technology is starting to change that.
This post is about how selling online lets women who cannot take a fixed job earn from a skill they already have, and what that looks like at Smyrna Collective.
What the numbers say
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the global labor force participation rate for women is just under 47%, against 72% for men. That is a gap of 25 percentage points, and in some regions it is more than 50.
In many countries men are still the main earners, while women more often help in the household or in a relative's business.
Why women stay out of paid work
A common belief is that a woman cannot run a home and hold a job at the same time. Sometimes women believe it themselves. With a partner who shares the work at home, she can do both.
Many women want paid work but cannot take a job with fixed hours. They look after children or grandchildren, or they left work for pregnancy and childcare and never got a steady career back.
The freedom to work, by choice and in conditions of dignity, safety and fairness, matters in itself. It also matters to the women: earning brings motivation and the chance to learn and grow.
What we do at Smyrna Collective
Selda started Smyrna Collective in Izmir in 2021. Today more than 20 makers crochet and knit for it, mostly women, many of them retired or working from home, including Selda, Nilgün, Birsen, Mehtap and İkbal. They have the skill. What they did not have was a way to reach buyers abroad, and we should not expect our mothers, grandmothers and aunts to learn search engines and online marketing. That part is what the collective does.
Their work now goes to buyers in the US, the UK and Australia, something most of them never thought possible. Our Etsy shop has more than 1,150 sales and a 4.9-star rating from over 400 reviews. You can see one maker's hand in the black and red rose cardigan: Birsen crocheted every rose on it. In the pastel granny square cardigan, no two come out exactly the same.
More than fashion
Hand knitting and crochet are hard work, and worth more than fast fashion. When you buy a handmade piece, from us or from any other women makers, you pay a person for days of skilled work.
If you run a shop or a brand and want to work with the collective, see our custom and wholesale page. And if you are reading this in Egypt, Sri Lanka or India, we hope it gives you an idea for the women around you.
