Artisan insight

The talented women who craft The Dharma Door collection work alongside each other in shared workspaces. Sometimes they choose to work from home, where they can also care for their family and tend to daily chores. The artisans are often from the poorest and most disadvantaged communities, so access to training, health and education has previously been very limited.

Working with The Dharma Door empowers these women to break the cycle of poverty by using their traditional weaving and craft skills. Working with our NGO partners, they set the prices they are paid for their work based on time, intricacy of design and the cost of the raw materials.

There is no doubt that being paid fairly for their work is life-changing, however there are so many other wonderful benefits that arise when our artisans become empowered. The pride of making something beautiful with their own hands; the camaraderie of learning new skills alongside other women; earning respect from their families and community; the dignity of being able to buy new clothes for themselves; and the opportunity to educate their children.