A section in Walmart.com is now devoted to unique and interesting products produced by women-owned businesses around the world.
Andrea Thomas, senior vice president, Walmart, said the project called "Empowering Women Together, is a simple concept. With each purchase, shoppers help lift and empower the women behind these products and help them create new jobs and improve their lives.
At launch, Empowering Women Together will offer shoppers more than 200 items from 19 businesses in nine countries.
Walmart, for its part, can help these suppliers gain experience with buying trends, scaling, product development and acumen they need to build their businesses.
Each of the businesses participating in Empowering Women Together is fueled by women with inspiring stories. No two stories are alike. Challenges such as poverty, lack of education, domestic abuse and physical limitations are common.
What each supplier shares is a drive to build a better future. Empowering Women Together will give Joy Ndungutse, an entrepreneur in Rwanda, and many women like her around the world the opportunity they never thought they’d have – to begin or greatly expand their access to shoppers in America.
"From a humble beginning under a tree in a remote village in Rwanda, my sister and I founded Gahaya Links after the devastating 1994 Rwanda Genocide that left over 1 million dead,” said Joy Ndungutse. “We organized about 20 women with a vision of empowering them to enhance their weaving skills, to be able to earn an income, and live adequately by community standards. Today we are a growing network of over 4,000 women, the majority of whom are genocide survivors and are organized in cooperatives throughout Rwanda. Through our partnership with Full Circle Exchange and opportunities such as Empowering Women Together, this platform gives hope to many families in Rwanda and we are so grateful."
Empowering Women Together is also dedicated to helping US-based women-owned businesses grow and expand their distribution. Nine of the initial 19 Empowering Women Together businesses are US based.
Walmart said it is support its Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative with more than USD100 million in grants. Funding will come from the Walmart Foundation and donations directly from Walmart’s international businesses.