Empowering Young Indigenous Women and LBQ+ Through Economic Justice Programs

Empowering Young Indigenous Women and LBQ+ Through Economic Justice Programs

Sangsan Anakot Yawachon Brings Change from indigenous communities to Chiang Mai’s Craft Events

The Sangsan Anakot Yawachon Foundation continues its mission to empower young Indigenous women and LBQ+ youth through creativity, cultural identity, and community-based entrepreneurship, an approach grounded in economic justice.

What Is the Economic Justice Program?

Sangsan’s economic justice program is designed to create fair, inclusive, and sustainable economies for marginalized communities. It equips young Indigenous and LBQ+ artisans to:

• Build creative, sustainable care business models

• Preserve traditional crafts while accessing new markets;

• Earn fair income and strengthen collective leadership;

• Use their crafts as a platform for gender, SOGIESC, economic, social and environmental justice.

Economic justice is not only about income, it’s about redistributing opportunity, dignity, and power. By ensuring that Indigenous women and LBQ+ youth have equitable access to resources and representation, Sangsan helps transform traditional crafts into vehicles for long-term community resilience.

Why Economic Justice Matters

For many Indigenous and LBQ+ communities in northern Thailand, challenges such as statelessness, land loss, and gender-based discrimination have limited access to fair livelihoods.

By centering economic justice, Sangsan enables artisans to reclaim their identities and express their values through craft. Every piece they create tells a story of resistance, sustainability, and pride — proof that creativity can challenge inequality.

How Sangsan’s Work Creates Impact

Through its community-based brands, Sangsan connects tradition, sustainability, and advocacy:

• Salawin – Naturally dyed textiles handcrafted by stateless Indigenous women from Mae Sam Laep, Mae Hong Son, preserving their ancestral weaving heritage.

• Naw Se La – Eco-printing crafts by LBQ+ young women in Samoeng District, Chiang Mai, transforming environmental awareness into artistic activism.

• Nor Om-Ki – Naturally dyed fabrics by Indigenous women from Tak Province who are defending their land and water rights.

• Chiang Mai Front Runners Craft Coffee – A social enterprise promoting inclusion and equality through coffee culture, led by LBQ+ and queer youth who champion visibility, community health, and safe spaces for all.

Together, these initiatives show how economic empowerment, art, and advocacy can coexist — uplifting marginalized voices and protecting both culture and nature.

Join Us at Baan Khang Wat Craft Event (4–6 November 2025)

Before Chiang Mai Craft Week 2025, the Sangsan Anakot Yawachon Foundation and our partner brands — Salawin, Naw Se La, Nor Om-Ki, and Chiang Mai Front Runners Craft Coffee — will proudly join the Baan Khang Wat Craft Event, happening 4–6 November 2025 at Baan Khang Wat, Chiang Mai.

We warmly invite everyone to visit our booth, meet the artisans, enjoy locally roasted craft coffee, and discover handmade products that embody sustainability, identity, and justice.

Every purchase is more than an exchange — it’s an act of solidarity with Indigenous women and LBQ+ youth who are crafting a fairer, more inclusive future.

Come see, connect, and be part of change — visit our booth at Baan Khang Wat, 4–6 November 2025!