International Women's Day: A More Beautiful Life

International Women's Day is a day of solidarity. A day to reflect on the progress made, and the work still to be done, so that women everywhere can live with dignity, stability, and opportunity.

At The Loyal Workshop, this day is personal.

This year's theme #GiveToGain reminds us that when we give our time, skills, and support, we gain something in return. At Loyal, we've seen this play out in the most tangible ways. We asked the women in our workshop what they've gained. Here is what they told us.

"My life now is much more beautiful than before."

Raima has been part of Loyal for several years. When she reflects on what has changed, she doesn't speak in abstract terms. She speaks about everyday life.

"Since joining Loyal, my life has changed a lot and I have gained so much. I am able to teach my daughters properly, eat well, and live comfortably, all of which is a great benefit for me. I am healthy and stable, and I find great enjoyment in my stitching work. Compared to my previous life, there have been many positive changes, and that in itself is a huge blessing. My life now is much more beautiful than before."

It is built slowly, stitch by stitch.

"Through Loyal, I am able to do a lot for them."

For Mira, the impact of dignified employment is most evident in her children's education.

"For as long as I've been at Loyal, I have been spending my time very positively. My life has gained a lot because my two children, a son and a daughter, are learning well and going to school. I am able to teach them many good and beautiful things. They are learning, and through Loyal, I am able to do a lot for them. I hope they will have a beautiful life."

International Women's Day often speaks about the future of girls. At Loyal, that future is shaped in very practical ways — through school fees paid, books purchased, meals provided, and mothers who feel empowered to guide their children forward.

"I hope that even more changes will happen."

Anima speaks about change as something ongoing — something that continues to unfold.

"Since coming to Loyal, a lot has changed in my life, and I am seeing many new things. I am able to guide my children, and they are also learning and seeing things they couldn't before. They are now able to study and experience more. I have gained a lot and been able to make many positive changes in my life. I hope that even more changes will happen, and that things will continue to go well for my children."

There is hope in her words. Not a dramatic, headline kind of hope. A steady, determined kind. The kind that grows when work is consistent. When income is reliable. When dignity is restored.

What solidarity looks like

#GiveToGain asks what happens when we invest in women. The answer, as Raima, Mira, and Anima show us, ripples outward — into families, into children's classrooms, into communities.

We are not a charity. We offer employment — skilled, dignified, long-term employment. That work is only possible because people choose to support it. Each product is hand-stitched by one woman from beginning to end. Each purchase makes that employment possible and sustains the mission that sits behind it.

When you choose Loyal, you are standing in solidarity with women building a more beautiful life for themselves and their children. That is what it means to #GiveToGain.

Today, we honour Raima. Mira. Anima. And every woman who is stitching her way towards freedom.