#ChooseArtisan

The time of the African Woman Artisan Entrepreneur is now! An important new global campaign was launched in Washington yesterday to recognise the real importance and value of artisan enterprise in contributing to economic development, poverty alleviation and women's empowerment. The #ChooseArtisan campaign aims to make society understand the full economic value of the artisan sector and its ability to make genuine and lasting positive change happen. Did you know that if the creative economy were a country, it would be the 4th largest economy in the world. World exports of artisan goods are currently worth $32 billion per year, and of critical importance to Africa is that millions of women in countries across the continent participate in the artisan sector. The fact is that the artisan sector fosters economically-viable communities, especially for women, and importantly here in Africa, creates significant numbers of jobs. At a time when economic inequality continues to be a major global challenge, and so many are left outside of the mainstream economy, it would appear to be a no-brainer to support the growth of the artisan sector, and in particular, those women-owned enterprises on the African continent.