#doDifferent to Empower
Empowerment is vital in South Africa where so many people have been, and continue to be, marginalized.
It is easy to view empowerment through the lens of big government policies and projects but often it is the choices made by individual companies to change the status quo, and drive empowerment through their business journey, which really makes a difference.
This can be especially profound when it involves an industry with a legacy of problematic ethics and sustainability. One South African clothing company is making a choice to #doDifferent and build a business around empowerment.
GritxGrace is a Cape Town-based brand born out of a desire to create a range of swimwear and activewear designed to inspire and encourage women from all walks of life to get active and feel great doing it. They have made the empowerment of women a core part of their business journey. Firstly, their fashion is body positive, beautifully designed for comfort and functionality. Second, they have built their supply chain to promote female-owned businesses or businesses empowering female employees. Finally, they donate 1% of their online sales turnover to charities supporting and empowering women. This includes 18twenty8 and Susters4Life - both organizations promoting education and empowerment.
Another legacy of the fashion industry is the unsustainable nature of global supply chains, synthetic materials, and energy-intensive production processes. In fact, the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter on the planet after the oil industry.
GritxGrace takes sustainability just as seriously as empowerment. They use recycled materials in almost every component of their products, from the fabrics and tags to the packaging and promotional cards. They have also chosen to work with local manufacturers who ensure ethical work environments for their employees.
In addition to their charitable donations, GritxGrace donate a further 1% of their online turnover to environmental non-profit Greenpop who focus on environmental renewal. All of this adds up to a business making a meaningful impact to change the dynamic of their industry.
So why not #doDifferent and buy some swimwear or activewear which is not only built to make you feel great, but also to empower and reduce the impact on the environment.
Check out GritxGrace here.
