MADE51: Championing Living Wages for Refugee Artisans

“MADE51 empowers refugees to create quality products while ensuring fair pay. Its goal is to bring these products to a global market, raising awareness of refugees' skills and their ability to contribute to society. At its core, the model is about decent work, offering fair wages and respect through meaningful opportunities,” Ciara Barry, Fair Payment Consultant for MADE51, a UNHCR initiative.

WageIndicator has been collaborating with MADE51 since 2023 in their journey to implement Living Wages for refugee artisans they partner with. Here is their story:

Could you briefly introduce MADE51, including its mission and vision?

MADE51 is an initiative made possible by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.

At MADE51, we facilitate the creation and sale of beautiful artisanal products made by refugees, often in settings like refugee camps, and sell them to a global market.

We often say that refugees flee with very little, but they do have their skills and the heritage of where they come from. We’re trying to keep those skills alive while also providing them with income during this arduous journey, ensuring they can contribute to beautiful products sold to the global market, including through major retailers.

We have partnerships with both high-end luxury brands and mass markets, such as previous collaborations with Uniqlo and Chloé. The products they make by hand are sold either directly to customers, wholesale, or through brand collaborations.

Can you tell us about the unique challenges of setting fair wages in refugee settings?

In many regions, setting wages for refugee artisans presents a unique challenge. It’s essential that refugee wages align with those of the host community to support economic balance and social cohesion. Given that in some contexts refugees may receive additional benefits or support, setting fair wages that ensure decent work but don’t unintentionally create disparities is crucial. This careful balance prevents potential wage discrepancies from disrupting local economies, while allowing both refugees and host communities to benefit from MADE51’s initiatives.

MADE51 is very selective about the social enterprises it collaborates with, ensuring they comply with fair trade practices, and that regular monitoring is in place. What incentives do these social enterprises have in partnering with MADE51 and supporting this mission?

MADE51 is a market-based initiative by UNHCR that is implemented through the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). MADE51 offers technical support to social enterprises, helping them with fair trade practices. For instance, we're currently rolling out fair payment workshops, explaining the difference between minimum and Living Wages, and WageIndicator’s data to help benchmark and close wage gaps for artisans.

UNHCR country operations identify groups of refugees with artisanal skills and potential.  We link these groups with social enterprises in the artisan sector that work in or near the refugees’ communities. Together, refugees and social enterprises develop unique product lines that make up the ‘MADE51 Collection’. Social enterprises sell these products alongside their existing collections and manage orders, production, and logistics.

We help foster successful, sustainable collaborations by offering seed funding, technical support, and a global marketing platform for refugee-made products. MADE51 also facilitates large orders and bespoke product collaborations with retailers. MADE51 partners also benefit from the Local Social Enterprise (LSE) network - over 35 social enterprises who collaborate and share similar experiences in working with refugees

Additionally, by carrying the MADE51 brand label, social enterprises can guarantee their buyers that the products are crafted by refugees in fair trade conditions which are monitored by UNHCR field colleagues. MADE51 is building an ecosystem of partners, giving local social enterprises access to new markets. In addition to brand collaborations, MADE51 also sells products directly through its website, through direct to consumer sales events, and wholesale customers which expands market access for its partners through various channels.

Have you faced any hesitation or challenges from partners when implementing Living Wage standards?

Yes, there are many challenges. Local social enterprises often feel nervous and uncertain when I come on board as a fair pay consultant. They're already facing rising costs, working in tough environments with refugee artisans, and fear that implementing Living Wages overnight will be unaffordable, or make their products too expensive to compete in the market.

There’s hesitation at first, especially during workshops, but once they see the actual figures and realise we’re benchmarking rather than demanding immediate changes, they become more engaged. Many discover they’re already close to or meeting the Living Wage, which boosts their confidence and helps them use the data as an external, credible benchmark to show they’re doing a good job. As I mentioned earlier, we also take into account the additional support that refugees in camp settings may receive, such as housing, water, and healthcare. The WageIndicator model’s region-specific breakdown of these costs is invaluable, enabling us to accurately assess and analyse wage levels in line with the unique expenses of refugee camp settings.

We’ve simplified the tools and processes to make it easier for them, avoiding extra burdens like complex paperwork, which further helps reduce their initial concerns.

We use a tool that indicates their wage status: it goes red if they're below minimum wage, amber if they meet minimum wage but not Living Wage, and green if they meet Living Wage. This serves as a reference point for them, knowing we are working alongside them.

However, there’s definitely nervousness, especially in regions with challenging currencies and living costs. For instance, local social enterprises are using various types of business models, for example some are registered nonprofits so there are more revenue streams that can help their capacity to pay higher wages while others rely solely on the market. Another challenge in the artisan sector can be the local market pricing and we have to be careful that the artisans are not priced out of the market by raising their product costs overnight - especially since many major brands push prices very low. We want to remain competitive so that LSE partners in the MADE51 network can receive consistent orders to create more regular income for the refugee artisans. At the same time, we are committed to decent work and Living Wages for artisans, so it is a balance.

Some businesses can afford to pay more than others, which can be a challenge. An external piece of data stating what a Living Wage looks like in their region can help, as it’s not just me saying it; it’s based on credible information from WageIndicator. This objective data serves as a neutral starting point for discussions.

Which wage figure do you refer to: the typical family lower bound or the standard family?

We use the typical family lower bound provided by WageIndicator.

Do you have a timeline in mind regarding when you want the gaps in Living Wages closed?

At the moment, we’re not setting long-term goals with them, but we aim to gain visibility on what fair wages look like in their settings and identify any gaps. Our approach isn't one-size-fits-all; some partners have larger gaps that need closer monitoring, while others, like those in Turkey, are already meeting or exceeding Living Wage standards.

Initially, we’re focusing on visibility—understanding where they stand in terms of living and minimum wages. Each partner must share transparent pricing for their products before they are reviewed by MADE51. Our goal is working with the social enterprises to reach a Living Wage for all MADE51 products, and helping them achieve this whilst recognising it will raise product prices in many cases - so it is also about range consolidation and determining which products can still work for the market.

How many countries are you in and how many artisans do you work with?

For example, in 2023, 3,321 artisans earned income, with 94% being women. In the same year, the initiative benefited close to 13,990 children due to raised family incomes across 23 countries. You can find more impact numbers here.

How many countries do you currently cover under Living Wages?

We've onboarded 13 countries so far, spanning the Middle East, Asia and Southern and East Africa: Lebanon, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. Next I’ll be onboarding several West African countries, and more in Asia and the Middle East. The project started in 2023, so we will need a bit more time before the countries we have onboarded are all Living Wage compliant.

Based on the data you've analysed so far, how big are the gaps?

The gaps aren’t as large as we expected, though they vary. For example, in Turkey, wages are above the Living Wage, but that's not the case everywhere. We looked at various data sets before choosing WageIndicator because it's more achievable for the small social enterprises we work with.

We benchmarked many options, though some data is behind paywalls. We ultimately chose a system that was easier for artisans and enterprises to use, and crucially could be implemented across the MADE51 network. WageIndicator has wage data in 23 out of the 24 countries that MADE51 currently produces in, covering 34/35 social enterprises in the MADE51 network. While worker-led approaches, like calculating a Living Wage based on food basket costs, have value, they were more complicated.

We wanted a straightforward method that people would consistently use, as compared to an overly aspirational system that no one keeps up with and wouldn't help get more money into workers' pockets.

Can you describe the demographic that you work with?

Yes, 94% of the workforce is women, primarily under the age of 30, many of whom have care responsibilities, such as young children. These women aren’t working 40-hour weeks in factories; they do flexible, piece-based work. However, we ensure they are paid a Living Wage based on hourly calculations. We work out how long it takes to make each piece and pay accordingly, much like how a larger firm would calculate wages for part-time employees based on hourly rates.

What does success look like for the MADE51 business model? How do you define it?

I’ll start by saying it's about empowering refugee women to use their craftsmanship to create beautiful products they’re proud of, and ensuring they’re paid fairly. Success means these products reach a global market, raising awareness that refugees have skills and can contribute to society, and that people can support them by purchasing these goods. MADE51 creates opportunities for refugees to earn income through dignified work that makes use of their valuable skills, traditions, and heritage. Working in collaboration with an ecosystem of partners, MADE51 brings refugee craftsmanship & stories to the world. Overall, the essence of the MADE51 model is about decent work and giving these women the respect they deserve through fair wages and opportunities.

I would like to quote Ms. Kelly Clements, UN Deputy High Commissioner For Refugees, here.

“Rather than viewing millions of refugees across the globe as a burden, MADE51 sees untapped talent and potential that, if unlocked, can directly benefit displaced women, men, and children, as well as host communities and local businesses.”

January 2025