Woman of the World: Susan Hull Walker Advocates for Women Artisans Globally
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Susan Hull Walker, a textile artist-turned-advocate and entrepreneur is reshaping global style and positively influencing the lives of the women artisans who create it. Walker’s Ibu Movement gives voice and platform to over 100 artisan groups from around 40 countries.
The Ibu Movement
Ibu, a retail brand and women’s artisan marketplace opened its doors in 2013, led by Walker. In Indonesian, ‘Ibu’ translates to ‘woman of respect’ and this is precisely how Walker views her artisan partners. Especially significant in this partnership is the trumping of geographical and cultural barriers, many of the women artisans hail from regions challenged by conflict and poverty.
For example, in 2022, following a severe earthquake in Haiti and ensuing anarchy, Ibu did more than just sympathize with the plight of the women of Bien Abyé, a Haitian artisan group. The organization placed more product orders, providing the artisans with income and gave them a grant through the Ibu Foundation to repair and refurbish their workspace.
The Art of Change
Ibu’s marketplace showcases a cornucopia of handcrafted textiles and jewelry from across the globe. Heritage handiwork, traditional craftsmanship, and age-old skills, many of which are female-centric and culturally significant are valued, cherished, and marketed by the brand.
For many artisans, their craft is a deep-rooted tradition and an integral part of their cultural identity. However, these rich and nourishing practices face endangerment in our present world of fast, cheap, and trendy fashion. Walker, through the Ibu Movement, has set out to counteract this, valuing and prioritizing women’s traditional work, bringing respect, livelihood enhancements, and transformations in communities, even those threatened by conflict, like Afghanistan.
Donning the Mantle of Preservation
A native of Kentucky, Walker brings to the table not just a love of textiles and embedded women’s narratives but also a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. She moved to Charleston as a United Church of Christ minister in the 1990s, with a deep understanding of world religions. Today Walker is a preservationist of global textile traditions, aiming to embolden every woman through her work with Ibu. Her mission is far from mere entrepreneurship. It is rather an evangelistic endeavor towards women empowerment and the cherishing of cultural heritage.
Building Bridges, Changing Lives
The Ibu Movement has evolved into a hub offering income, visibility, confidence, and community to global women artisans. Walker and her team are working on a 10-year initiative and $2-million capital campaign to double the reach and impact of the movement, empowering artisanship and enhancing the livelihood of around 200,000 women artisans worldwide.
In addition, through the Fringe Road Travel adventures set up by Ibu, interested art enthusiasts can visit artisan groups in regions like Kenya, Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Colombia, acquiring firsthand knowledge and insight into the cultural richness and resilience of these women artisans.
With every stitch sewn and thread woven, the women artisans upheld by the Ibu Movement are scripting stories of strength, resilience, and transformation. Susan Hull Walker, their stalwart supporter, is determined to bring their narratives and artistry from the fringes to the forefront, changing lives, one woman at a time.
