Girl's Gone Child: Gifts that Give: To The Market

Passport Bag $18,
(hand woven by the Women's Skill Development Organization of Nepal)

I met Jane Mosbacher Morris at the AYA summit in DC and was blown away by her story, efforts and the work she has done both past and present, specifically with To the Market, a survivor-made goods website that launched last week.

In Jane's words:

I founded TO THE MARKET because I believe in the power of economic independence and the impact that the dignity of work can have on transforming a survivor's life. I spent the first part of my career focused on the intersection of women and security. I worked on (and continue to work on) issues ranging from the elevation of women in the national security sector to the impact of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault on women and their communities. When studying each issue, I continued to come back to the fundamental role that economic independence played in the determining the status and security of women. Similarly, I observed that some degree of economic independence greatly reduced a woman’s vulnerability.

I wanted to partner with organizations that are serving a specific vulnerable population—survivors—because I felt like providing this opportunity for employment was especially crucial to survivors. I have said that economic independence helps to ensure that the survivors of abuse don’t return to their exploitative relationships; that survivors of conflict can forge a new life without relying on charity; and that survivors of disease can afford the care that they need. I continue to say that, but would even expand it to say that economic independence also helps to change the trajectory of the survivors’ children, especially their daughters.

TO THE MARKET partners with organizations that believe that employment is an effective way to empower survivors of abuse, conflict or disease. Our model is threefold, all of which aims to help these organizations thrive and if appropriate, expand and employ more survivors. This includes;

1. Promoting survivor-made goods TO THE MARKET via multiple distribution channels, including pop-up shops, custom sourcing, retail partnerships, and our online marketplace.

2. Offering a platform for survivors and their champions to share their stories with a new, larger audience of eyes, ears, and hearts including through TTM’s Stories and Huffington Post blogs.

3. Providing tailored services to our Local Partners with resources such as trend forecasting and basic mental health resources to improve production and management...

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I am THRILLED to introduce you to TTM and feature some of my favorite pieces available to purchase for EVERYONE on your holiday list(s). It was hard to pick, hence THE VERY LONG LIST. SO much beauty and kick-ass lady power up in this action. To read the story about the piece, where it's from and what your purchase means to which community, click through the below images and select "the story."

Pom Pom pouch: $9: