15 Ethical Brands That Empower Women

This Panajachel, Guatemala-based brand showcases Maya artisans’ handmade creations. Hiptipico is fully transparent about how the products are produced and they do not interfere with the design or production process. So you can feel good using this handmade leather laptop case with a colorful embroidered design from the Maya village of Chichicastenango, Guatemala. It fits a 13-inch computer.

This Los Angeles-based T-shirt company sells handmade-to-order 100% organic cotton tees with empowering phrases. Dazey LA’s collections are all focused on crucial topics for women, such as self-care, inclusivity, women’s rights, and navigating the digital world. This tee is here to remind you that you are always enough—no matter what.

The non-profit, ethical fashion brand specializes in Palestinian tatreez embroidery, a centuries-old art form that is traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. Each piece, including these red embroidered flats, are handcrafted in the West Bank. Darzah’s mission is to create economic opportunities for refugee and low-income women artisans, as well as to celebrate tatreez embroidery and Palestinian cultural heritage. 

These earrings and many of Mata Traders’ products were crafted by artisans in India and Nepal. The company aims to help provide a stable source of income for families in India and Nepal, as well as help the women fight gender inequality.

These best-selling leggings were made from 25 recycled water bottles—no joke. The Girlfriend Collective makes leggings, bras, tees, and tanks using recycled materials, such as fishing nets and water bottles. The brand uses an SA8000 certified factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, that guarantees fair wages, safe and healthy conditions, and zero forced or child labor. 

Malia Designs’ products, like this messenger tote made from recycled cement bags, are created by fair trade producers that employ at-risk women and disabled workers in Cambodia. The brand gives back by regularly donating to organizations that work to fight human trafficking in Cambodia and the United States.

Net-a-Porter teamed up with select brands, including Ninety Percent, to create exclusive tees for International Women’s Day to support Women for Women International. One-hundred percent of the profits from the sales will go to the organization.

Every Mother Erth shoulder bag uses a different roll of upcycled plastic that is handwoven to create its own truly unique color pattern and design. Each item created keeps up to one pound of unrecyclable materials from being wasted and each purchase provides an artisan mother fair wage in their local communities in the Philippines.

This fully transparent brand produces clothing and accessories in-house in Nashville and with manufacturing partners in Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil, and India. Women comprise 95% of the staff at Able, which aims to invest in, train, and educate its female employees and provide them with fair compensation. You can see it for yourself, too—Able publicly publishes its wages on the company’s website.

Thistle Farms is a residential program in Nashville, Tennessee, that provides female survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction with housing, food, healthcare, and employment in the company’s social enterprises. Every sale benefits the women survivors who make the products, like this hand-poured soy candle.

Embrace your story with a guided journal about a fascinating subject: you! Plus, you’ll be buying it from Uncommon Goods, a company that runs the Better to Give program, which donates $1 to a cause of your choice with every purchase. Partner causes in the program include the International Rescue Committee, RAINN, and 826 National.

The Gap Inc. company empowers women through its P.A.C.E. program, which offers its female factory workers advanced education, skill development, fair wages, and opportunities for leadership. Since 2007, over 500,000 women have participated in the program, which has implemented in 17 countries. Clearly, Athleta is standing with the empowering phrase on this tee.

Can’t decide on a scent? Why not try them all with Skylar’s sample palette, which gives you a $20 credit toward whichever hypoallergenic and cruelty-free scent you select as your favorite. Your search for the perfect fragrance will also give to a good cause. Skylar devotes a portion of its proceeds and time to Step Up, a non-profit that provides mentorship for underprivileged high school girls.

The sales of Tatcha’s products, like this hydrating skin cream, help to fund girls’ education around the world through their Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures initiative. They’ve funded 3 million days of school for girls in Asia and Africa, in partnership with Room to Read as of mid-2019.

This beloved ethical fashion brand’s 100% Human Collection to supports protecting human rights and, for each product (like this T-shirt) that is sold, the company donates $5 towards the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the premier organization that defends our Constitutional rights.