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March 8th is internationally known as International Women's Day. Flowers and chocolates are the gifts we usually receive. Not that we despise gifts, far from it. Affection and care are very welcome. But this year, Rachel Schettino, co-founder of Rede Asta, received much more than that. She was given a platform to speak.
I felt how much an inspiring speech and real-life examples can encourage the reclamation and development of our feminine potential. We have no idea of the power we possess! On this date, beyond recharging my own energy, I tried to extend an invitation for every woman to revisit her power, her importance, and her purpose. Rachel Schettino | Co-founder of Rede Asta
In the morning, she attended the third edition of the EcoEra Award to discuss sustainability with a social focus in the fashion world. This year, the award included a Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment category in partnership with the C&A Foundation. It evaluated companies and policies that support women.
“For us, it made perfect sense because we believe that women are the great force behind this [fashion] industry.” Giuliana Orteda | Executive Director of C&A Foundation
Our presence was about more than just talking about best practices for environmental preservation. We are a company created by women, fighting for gender equality every day by empowering the artisans in our network. “Being here at the EcoEra Award is incredible, as we can see social inclusion in the fashion world being embraced by major brands.”, reports Rachel.
At the end of the day, she met with employees at EloGroup. This time, she shared her journey of entrepreneurship and her struggle for a life with more purpose.
“It was very interesting to have this opportunity for exchange and, of course, learning with Rachel. Our initial idea was to bring in a guest who could contribute to the gender discussion by sharing a little more about her career path and entrepreneurship as a woman. However, upon learning a bit more about Rede Asta, we realized that the exchange could be (and was) much broader than just career and women, also encompassing what it is like to run a social enterprise today as a woman, and all the challenges tied to that context. We exchanged ideas, learned, and were inspired by the story of Rede Asta and Rachel Schettino!” Julia Castro | EloGroup
The talk was part of a company initiative called ElaEloEle. The goal is to create a space for employees to discuss and reflect on gender issues. For this reason, Rafael Clemente, founding partner of EloGroup, highlights the opportunity to learn about Rachel's and Rede Asta's work, while also showing the importance of always seeking to evolve.
"As one of the company's founding partners, I understand and recognize that, even though we are always striving to do everything we do through the values we believe in, there is always room to evolve, and everything happening in the world, and consequently in the market, confirms this for us. Much more than just marketing, the concern to ensure respect for diversity in the corporate environment is a necessity for the sustainability of any business. In this context, Rachel was our special guest for International Women's Day, and I am happy that we gave our team the opportunity to exchange ideas and grow with an empowered and inspiring woman like her!"
In addition to the chat, EloGroup gifted its female employees with notebooks* handmade by artisans from the Mãos Brasil group, empowering them and generating income through Rede Asta.
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The fabrics used to produce these notebooks were kindly donated by FARM.