Women aren’t a charity, they’re a smart investment - Kimberley Davidson

The Wee Souk is a love affair which began unexpectedly in 2012 when I spent a year in Tunisia volunteering, having failed to secure a placement in my first choice, Palestine. It was “maktoub” as they say in Arabic. Destiny…

I did not plan my career. My route through education was unusual, leaving school very early (15), travelling, going to college and then eventually on to university. I remember classmates getting very frustrated with me during higher education because I’d always take discussions into civil society issues and away from our subject, Festival and Events Management. The only thing I knew was that it was important to me to feel every day that I was making a positive difference – and that money would never be my primary source of motivation.

Taking the leap to work for myself has been a game changer. I founded The Wee Souk, to create a chance to return even a little of the love given to me during my time there and to champion women, their work, and their worth. I consider myself an activist, so any day that can draw attention to, and hopefully act as a catalyst for change for, women across the globe is a good day.

Of course, like many people, I suffer from a severe case of imposter syndrome: I always left jobs before I’d be “found out” – not good enough, not competent enough, not hardworking enough. I was the main roadblock to my career progression. I had to unlearn lots of unhelpful belief systems. And, once I let go of those, the magic happened…

Wee Souk founder Kimberley Davidson with some of the homewares she sells

With The Wee Souk, we have created a specially selected collection of homeware, gifts and accessories lovingly handcrafted by the spectacularly talented artisans of Tunisia. Over 90 per cent of our artisans are women and the remaining 10 per cent are family businesses.

I endeavour to work directly with artisans so that they are paid the full amount for their skill and time and, working with natural materials such as wool, palm leaf, silver and, more recently, cactus leather, they create pieces that are really meant to last.

We have open and transparent relationships with the artisans, buying pieces at the retail price in Tunisia, with no expectation of or demand for a wholesale discount.

We also pay for the shipping to the UK, which is inordinately expensive. And we have recently started working with a non-profit organisation which trains and supports women potters in the North of Tunisia.

Women aren’t a charity, they’re a smart investment (someone else’s words but very much the way I feel): creating greater connections between women in the global south and north, based on mutual respect and understanding, is so important.

People often say to me that I should negotiate for cheaper prices and that, once I'm better established, I'll be able to act charitably or pay better.

Well, I've no intention of listening.

If the business can't be done in a fair and ethical way then I've no interest in doing it.

The only advice I'm interested in is how we can do better, how we can raise the expectations for women's empowerment and remove the limitations put upon us.

Kimberley Davidson, Founder, The Wee Souk