Gender in Practices of Fair Trade and Decent Work

Abstract

This article questions the effectiveness of the dual approach of Fair Trade as a development instrument and a business, focusing on the ability of Fair-trade Organizations (FTOs) to implement their principle of gender equality as they enter mainstream markets. Current research has revealed that while the certification scheme—a requirement for entry into ethical trading—has boosted Fair-trade sales, it has also broken down the producer–consumer relationship and reduced social awareness about what is ‘fair’ in Fair Trade. On the basis of a case study of an FTO producing handicrafts in West Bengal, India, this article brings into focus the impact of third-party certification on women workers at the lower end of the production chain. The introduction of a certification regime has resulted in a shift in the operative principle of the FTO, from one based on solidarity and development for the poor to one driven by market demands. While the FTO applies the principle of “fairness” in the relationship between itself and Northern buyers, it does not extend this notion to its relationship with the lower-end producers on whom it relies for entry to the global market. Gender equality as a Fair-trade principle has been narrowly interpreted as the creation of opportunities for women as marginalized producers, without due attention to ILO standards of Decent Work.