What is your company doing?
Sarah’s Bag is a Lebanese fashion house and social enterprise that creates unique, luxury hand-crafted bags and accessories while empowering women. The company was founded in May of 2000 when I set up a business that trained and employed underprivileged women in Lebanon.
Why are you doing it?
My journey began during my graduate degree in sociology, when I conducted field research at Dar Al Amal, an NGO that rehabilitates women at risk and female ex-prisoners. Soon after, I set up Sarah's Bag to train and employ these women so they could become financially independent and reintegrate into society.
What is the impact?
Today, Sarah's Bag employs 200 women, and the company encourages its skilled artisans to train other women in their communities, thus creating small cottage industries across Lebanon. These women become independent, respected and productive members of their communities who provide valuable jobs, thus creating a virtuous circle.
