This project mobilizes Indigenous women artisans from more than 35 communities to build four cooperatives (co-ops) we call the "Sierra Madre Network" ("Red Sierra Madre"), selling regional textiles and other locally sourced products to external markets while also practicing economic solidarity with neighbors and leading community impact projects.
The mountainous, isolated communities in the Otomi-Tepehua region of Hidalgo, Mexico, have extremely high rates of inequality. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the region has experienced a spike in both poverty rate and gender violence. These compounded challenges limit women's capacity to address inequality and co-create meaningful community solutions.
When we work collectively our impact is greater. The Sierra Madre Network brings together Indigenous women and allies to create a powerful network that will be the engine for sustainable development in their communities. Through these co-ops, women will strive for economic independence allowing for more self-determined lives.
In order to create sustainable opportunities, the Sierra Madre Network centers on women leaders and their needs, interests, and demands. The building of the co-ops represents a scalable impact-making model to combat poverty and gender inequality in Hidalgo and beyond in the years to come. By joining the Sierra Madre Network you are a critical ally for Indigenous women as leaders addressing social and economic inequality in rural Mexico.
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