Empowering women in Hebron through fair-trade handicrafts and embroidery

Women in Hebron is a Palestinian non-profit, FairTrade Cooperative under the Idna Cooperative Association for Embroidery and Handicrafts. Idna is a mid-sized Palestinian city of around 25,000 people, located to the southwest of Hebron in the West Bank.
‘Women in Hebron’ was established to provide women in Hebron the resources to provide for themselves and their families through the production and sales of Palestinian handicraft items. Their work began in 2005, when Nawal began selling items in the Old City Souq (market) of Hebron in the occupied H2 sector, a short distance from the Ibrahimi Mosque. Since 2005, ‘Women in Hebron’ has grown from a small table along the main thoroughfare of the market to a permanent fixture in the Old City. As a result of their handicraft sales, the Idna Cooperative Association has been able to open a small Community Centre in the village of Idna, where members of the Association can gather together to do their work, take part in educational programmes, and socialize with their peers.
The women who produce the items come from across Hebron district from eight cities and villages. The proceeds from sales provide themselves and their families with additional income that could not otherwise be obtained.
Their work is based on the idea that developing Palestinian handicrafts is more than just an income-generating project. It is in of itself an act of community-strengthening, of honouring the role of women in society, and a means to show sumud – steadfastness – in the face of the occupation of Palestine.
This event is organised by MKPSC