| Abstract: | This article discusses insights from a research study of an innovative community Fair Trade initiative which has a pricing model that recognises the unpaid work of women. It argues that women's unpaid work represents an important input into production and should be valued and renumerated. This initiative is a joint project between The Body Shop International and its partner, Cooperativa Juan Francisco Paz Silva, a sesame-producing co-operative in Nicaragua. By recognising the unpaid work of women, which has always been taken for granted, the project highlights gender equality and calls it into question. The findings of the research study show that despite the uneven impact of Fair Trade on gender and the household, the recognition of the unpaid work of women in the price, coupled with other enabling factors, can have a positive impact. This has implications for governments, companies, and development policymakers and practitioners. |
