Knitters and Governance

Bolivian knitters, formally marginalized by their indigenousness, enjoy the new freedoms they experience through their positive recognition as indigenous people from their government.  They are also enjoying the new inclusion of women in government and share pride in the formation of a their new constitutions.  Knitters report being hopeful in their new government but day to day living has not changed much.  Traditions of male dominance and subordinate roles for women in the home still restrict man women’s access to opportunity (and subsequently freedom and justice), as does the constraints of poverty.  Though new social programs help to make school and health care more accessible, additional challenges have been felt with climate change.  Agriculture is failing and many rural families are now entering the cities, seeking wage income to offset their agricultural losses.  Here migrants live in a hybrid manner, performing labor in the countryside (farming) as well as the city (paid work).  Bolivian’s are also lured to cities by easier transportation (access) and better schools for their children (opportunity).  Fair Trade knitting, in some instances, offers new arrivals a secure place in which to start their urban lives.  In conclusion, there is confusion for knitters as political change has happened so quickly in Bolivia and people are still trying to understand their roles and identity in their country’s new ways of being. 

It will be interesting to continue to study Bolivia during this time of extreme transformation.  New ministries and programs are being developed and a decentralization of government is taking place as citizen groups are given more power and a role in self governance.  The Bolivian government is now focusing on the development of artisan production within its country as a way to offset dependence on raw material exports.  This sector is being developed using the CAN Comercio Justo proposed for the Bolivian Constitution and is being headed, in part, by Rodriguez and the Ministry of Productive Development.

Conclusion

The effect of Fair Trade on Bolivia’s indigenous knitters is the expansion of their capabilities and opportunities, and subsequently freedoms and justice, through the development of income generation, empowerment, and skills building.  This comes at a cost.  Knitters are subject to poor working conditions, little social support and time poverty.  Never-the-less, the benefits outweigh the challenges.  Western Fair Trade continues to grow in popularity though a re-examination of its structure and accessibility needs to be undertaken and changes made in order for it to continue operating in a just manner.  Fair Trade as an idea, is becoming a globally embraced concept as governments such as Bolivia’s CAN Comercio Justo and Solitarity Economy expand it into new trade possibilities.