In communities across the world, rich cultural value and traditional designs have been protected and nurtured by women through creative industries[1].
Nowadays, the number of artisans, in particular women entrepreneurs making handmade products is increasing surprisingly. Most of the new crafts practitioners working laboriously and passionately, experimenting with history, vision and feeling to produce high-quality modern and desirable objects of creation, are women[2].
It might happen that in a context of economic crisis, the path of crafts offered professional opportunities to women who became unemployed or suffered from inequality [3].
The general objective of this research project is to investigate the potential role of artisanship as vector for women´s empowerment and social change, by analysing resources, comparing data, enhancing concrete experiences and of course, hearing women´s testimonials. Therefore extract general findings and conclusions.This research expects to strengthen the investigation in the field of crafts, by raising awareness about the lack of gender-based statistics; compiling the challenges craftswomen face everyday so cultural policies can be further developed on the basis of real needs; supporting women artisans with robust sector intelligence; identifying common elements and differences at the global level; and of course, providing evidence research on the association between crafts and women´s empowerment.
Special attention will be given to history and the use women made of artisanship but also on how women enhanced artisan heritage by ensuring its transmission between generations, by preserving intangible cultural heritage.In this platform, we will share documentation about women and artisanship in history; information about new initiatives linking women, or other vulnerable collectives such as refugees and migrants, to artisanship; sharing training, exhibiting and fundraising opportunities for new women artisans; resources for reflection such as reports and data; and of course, thoughts and findings driving us into the process of this research.
Dalia Sendra
the researcher
[1] Women in Creative Industries, UNIDO Gender Newsletter nº4
[2] Dupon, Olivier (2015): “The new artisans II”, Thames & Hudson, pag. 6
[3] “The impact of the economic crisis on the situation of women and men and on gender equality policies”, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, European Commission, Directorate-General for Justice, 2013, pag. 13
musart research lab 