Researcher to carry out revolutionary work on women's economic empowerment

A researcher from Royal Holloway, University of London, who has been awarded the Royal Geographical Society's 2014 Travel Award, will commence a ground-breaking study this autumn to improve the lives of thousands of women across the globe.

PhD student Felicity Butler, from the Department of Geography, will travel to Nicaragua, Central America, to trace and help assess methods of valuing unpaid work being carried out by women in major coffee and sesame oil supply chains.

Currently, the labour-intensive work undertaken by women, such as preparing soil and harvesting seeds and beans, is unpaid because the product cost only recognises work carried out by men.

Findings from the research, which will outline the extent of unpaid labour, will be used to put together pricing models to encourage major suppliers, including The Body Shop who are co-funding the study, to adopt a fairer trading approach towards women. The Body Shop is currently pioneering such an approach with pilot partners and if successful would like to see it become adopted across the sector.

This innovative research is supervised by Dr Dorothea Kleine, Reader in the Geography Department and an expert on Fair Trade and Ethical Consumption. Christina Archer, Senior Buyer at The Body Shop, is the second supervisor.

Felicity, who was awarded the 2014 Travel Award by the Developing Areas Research Group for her work in Fair Trade, said: "This research has the potential to revolutionise the way the work of women is viewed in supply chains.

"The contribution of women is not limited to physical labour in the fields; it includes tasks such as fetching water and fuel, preparing meals, caring for family members and ensuring the stability of the household. All of these things are hugely influential in the overall efficiency of the supply chain process and it is vital that this work is acknowledged and accounted for."

Aside from the economic impact of the pricing models, the resulting valuation could have a significant effect on the self-esteem and empowerment of women in local farming communities worldwide.

Felicity added: "If the pricing models are widely implemented by The Body Shop, other supply chain actors are more likely to follow suit, which could change the lives of thousands of women and their families all over the world."

Provided by Royal Holloway, University of London