Dozens of female artisans gathered happily at an event Sunday in Lod Tunduh village in Ubud, Gianyar regency, to commemorate World Fair Trade Day, which falls every May.
The gathering, organized by the Mitra Bali Foundation, was aimed at promoting the works of local handicrafts workers and artisans.
Around 50 female artisans displayed their art creations, ranging from ceramics to wooden products, and from garments to jewelry and many other goods for export.
The women buoyantly sang and shouted, playing traditional musical instruments and expressing their independence.
Mitra Bali Foundation currently overviews 2000 artisans, in particular female artisans, who are divided into 80 working groups.
The foundation actively gives a variety of training on design developments, promoting and marketing the products of local artisans in a fair trade scheme.
Ni Made Jati, 31, is one of the many success stories. She has been producing a wide variety of wooden statues and handicrafts since 1995 under the guidance of the foundation.
A native of Gianyar, Jati said she no longer depended on her artist husband.
Gianyar is home to much of Bali's talented artists.
However, in the last few decades, male artisans have dominated the handicrafts and art markets.
Women are often considered less talented than their male counterparts.
Jati is one of the many talented women in the business. Every day, she creates at least 10 wooden statues, mostly of animal forms.
"I started receiving orders just a few years ago, while my husband's business was already lucrative," Jati said while carving a piece of wood.
"Now, I get similar orders. I can earn my own money and help support my family."
To sustain her business, Jati cooperated with foresters in the regency to get wood for her work.
Mitra Bali has also helped local farmers establish a sustainable forest system growing fast-yield wood such as albasia, the right type of wood for producing handicrafts and art works.
In Abuan village, Gianyar, some 1,000 residents work as wood carvers.
"We try to use environmentally friendly wood, a type of wood that can be grown easily," Jati said.
I Nengah Punduh, another wood carver, added most artisans did not use teak or harder woods because they were not easily harvested.
It takes about 100 years to grow teak for high-quality timber.
Mitra Bali adopted the Fair Trade Scheme in 1993. Under the scheme, applied widely in developing and developed countries, producers are paid in a fair way for their labors.
Producers are required to adopt sustainable schemes in creating and manufacturing their items. Buyers, for their part, are required to pay and to market the items fairly.
This trade scheme is based on the principle of mutual dialogue and mutual benefit.
Mitra Bali has adopted a special theme for this year's celebrations of Fair Trade day, empowering women under the title "Strong Women. Strong Nation".
Agung Alit, the director of Mitra Bali, said Balinese society was still strongly swayed by the patriarchal system, in which male domination was obvious in every aspect of daily life.
"The theme focuses on women's empowerment. We have to appreciate their work and to honor their well-being," he said.
"Through this activity, we want to empower these women socially, culturally and economically."
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