WOMEN'S HEALTH 
With increased income, communities
benefiting from Fair Trade are able to improve access to quality health
care. For example, the CECOCAFEN coop in Nicaragua used Fair Trade
premiums to establish a reproductive health program, providing Pap test
for 129 women and educating women about reproductive health. Local
health promoters now educate women about cancer prevention and
treatment, and a woman doctor visits the community regularly.
The majority of flower workers throughout the world are women. Due to
exposure to harsh agrochemicals, pregnant flower workers have been found
to have an elevated rate of miscarriage, premature births and
congenital malformations. Fair Trade standards guarantee regular medical
examinations, free protective equipment, and that women are not exposed
to agrochemical work during pregnancy.
“I previously worked at another flower
farm and became pregnant. The pregnant women had to continue to do heavy
work. My child was exposed to pesticides because the farm would
fumigate the flowers while we workers remained in the greenhouse. The
only precaution was that we would move down the aisle while they
fumigated. Once they finished the beginning of the aisle, we would move
right back to where we were, and where all the fumigation had taken
place.
“Here, everything is different. I became
pregnant while working at PV and received very good treatment. The
pregnant women do not do the heavy work, and the other workers help with
those tasks a pregnant woman cannot perform. The farm gives breakfast
to all pregnant women, and all the easy work. They have us go home at
2:30pm.”
--Patricia Torres,
Jardines Paiveri, Ecuador