WUNRN
Women's World Summit Foundation
2007
Laureate Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life
Portugal
“Capuchinhas” Women’s Group
Reinventing a traditional craft
PORTUGAL:“Capuchinhas” Women’s Group
Reinventing a traditional craft
Twenty years ago, a few women
decided to save Campo Benfeito, an isolated village threatened with extinction because
there was little economic activity. In 1985, these women attended a training
course in sewing, aiming to build on skills they had learned from their
mothers. They intended to produce and market traditional capuchas. A capucha
is a waterproof woolen coat (mantle), worn by women, that is warm in winter and
protective from the sun in summer. It can last a lifetime.
Realizing that just making capuchas would not be enough to generate
sufficient income, the women, now known as “Capuchinhas” trained themselves in
management, budgeting and accounting and decided to innovate and modernize
their production. Their models needed a contemporary touch and a wider
promotion around the region. With determination and perseverance, they managed
to find financial support to hire a fashion designer who, over 8 years,
designed coats, skirts, blouses and sweaters that are now sold in fashion
stores in Lisbon and Oporto. Keeping the traditional knowledge of the past,
they are now able to produce a summer and a winter collection every two years.
For 20 years now, the impact of these women on the environment is worth
mentioning:
§ They included the community in their project, relying on the
knowledge of older women in terms of weaving techniques and dyes.
§ They learned how to use plants and tree leaves to dye linen
and wool, ecological raw materials, which are treated with completely
ecological techniques.
§ They prevented their village from being deserted. They
stayed in the village as well as their husbands. Six children are now attending
school, the first ones in 20 years.
§ They contribute to local development and bring customers as
well as many visitors to Campo Benfeito.
It is a great example of entrepreneurship, of women who stand up for themselves
and who did not wait for things to come their way.
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