When shopping can make the world a better place

The suggestion sounds ridiculous, but hear me out: Global Girlfriend, which is part of the Greater Good network of sites (which feature the click-a-day sites including The Hunger Site and The Breast Cancer Site) features handmade artisan products ranging from jewelry to soap to clothes, and a portion of every sale will help improve the lives of women around the world. What's really amazing are the shockingly reasonable prices on everything in their store--anybody on a budget can shop there, find beautiful items, and not go broke doing so. Because I think it's important and worth stating in its entirety, here's the lowdown from their site explaining what they do and how they do it:

Global Girlfriend was created in 2003 to help women worldwide gain economic security while providing you unique products and a simple way to help women in need. Our fair-trade boutique offers a line of trend-setting, women-made, fair-trade products including stylish apparel, accessories and gifts with one purpose -- helping women in need help themselves. We believe passionately that economic opportunity for women holds the promise for real change in the world; because when women have an income, they reinvest in themselves and in their children's health, education and nutrition, building stronger families and communities over time. Many women try desperately to make a living selling their artisan-quality goods but find that they have little access to market opportunities. Through fair-trade practices, Global Girlfriend brings the work of these disadvantaged groups directly to you. Global Girlfriend believes in forming long-term partnerships that provide women a fair living wage with equal employment opportunities, healthy and safe working conditions, technical assistance and development strategies to foster prosperity and reduce poverty.

• Women Made
  We know that economic opportunities for women holds the promise for real change because with a sustainable income over time, a woman invests in her family's health and education -- things that really help break the cycle of poverty.
• Fair Trade
  We also know that for women to thrive, those opportunities must reflect fair working conditions, many times non-traditional ones like working from home, and access to resources that provide a gateway into the global economy
• Eco-Friendly
  We share one earth and it must be healthy for us all to thrive. We support women in producing products that solve their community environmental issues, producing healthier children, rivers, skies and world.

Global Girlfriend directs the charity royalty from each purchase to Camfed (Campaign for Female Education), a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women. Camfed works directly with girls and women in rural areas of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Tanzania, providing educational and economic opportunities.

The charity royalty from each purchase at Global Girlfriend is directed to Camfed's seed money microgrant and microcredit program. Camfed's seed money micro-grant program is uniquely run by young women for young women, creating a bond of female solidarity that is integral to its success. Young women in the seed money program receive an initial microgrant, which they do not have to repay, in order to launch a small business venture, thus benefiting themselves, their families, and their entire communities.

With mother's day, father's day and graduation all just around the corner, a lot of us are budgeting carefully to find something nice to give to those we love. They have a huge variety of items, and there's something for every budget. They also offer a low, fixed shipping price of $3.95. We can all feel good about where our money is going, and also have the pleasure of giving something truly lovely and unique. That's a win-win situation for everybody.