Towards self-reliance through on-the-job training

In many Southeast Asian countries, vocational training programs for women, particularly in crafts, still struggle to lead to sustainable economic integration. Often short and poorly connected to market realities, these programs limit prospects for financial autonomy and keep many beneficiaries in precarious situations.

In Myanmar, many organizations now offer sewing training for women, often over short periods of two to three months. While these initiatives allow for an initial acquisition of skills, they have a major limitation: they rarely lead to stable employment and do not encourage the creation of independent businesses. Participants, once trained, find themselves alone in the market, without support, without commercial opportunities, and without real professional integration. Some manage to find jobs in factories or offer their services in the neighborhood. As a result, despite their skills, many remain confined to irregular and precarious incomes.

Limitations of Sewing Training in Myanmar: Restricted Access to Economic Autonomy

In response to this situation, Julia Naw, who has been committed to empowering women through crafts with us since 2018, recently created YAKAN at the end of 2025. YAKAN is a structured social enterprise that will be able to help more women thanks to partnerships with OFW and Swisscontact. She is committed to a professional integration process that goes beyond traditional training, offering long-term support and “on-the-job” training that is not limited to teaching sewing. The company supports women across the entire value chain: understanding market expectations, developing adapted designs, continuous quality improvement, respecting production deadlines, and managing prices and sales. Artisans are not only trained, they are integrated into a structured production system, where each step – from prototype to delivery – is monitored and evaluated.

This approach is based on a key principle: learning by producing. Women work on real orders for responsible markets, particularly in Europe. They are thus confronted with concrete requirements: consistent quality, meticulous finishes, respect for standards (traceability, labeling, materials), as well as work organization and coordination with other actors in the textile chain. This professional framework allows them to develop directly applicable skills.

Another major specificity: this training is paid. By participating in production, artisans immediately generate income. In 2025, Julia supervised the production of over 1,800 pieces, generating nearly 59.5 million kyats (15,000 euros) for the women involved. These funds cover sewing costs and ensure decent remuneration for the weavers. This direct link between training and income is a powerful lever for economic empowerment.

YAKAN: An innovative model for professional integration through traditional crafts

YAKAN plays a central structuring intermediary role here, which is still largely absent in Myanmar. In a fragmented textile sector, where women producers work in isolation, the company acts as an aggregator: it coordinates artisans, ensures quality control, organizes production, manages inventory, and liaises with international buyers. This role transforms scattered and irregular production into a reliable, competitive offering that meets market demands.

Beyond technical training, YAKAN offers long-term support. Artisans benefit from continuous mentoring, training sessions on market trends, peer exchanges, and regular progress assessments. This ongoing support not only improves skills but also builds confidence, professional rigor, and the ability to work collectively.

A sustainable lever for women's economic empowerment

In a context marked by economic and political crisis, this model offers a concrete and sustainable response. It is no longer just about training, but about creating the conditions for real access to the market, guaranteeing more stable incomes and better resilience.

YAKAN embodies a new generation of initiatives: projects that go beyond vocational training to build truly inclusive economic ecosystems. By linking training, production, and commercial outlets, the company paves the way for a more efficient, more sustainable, and deeply transformative model for women artisans in Myanmar.

Thus, the creation of YAKAN is part of a context marked by significant inequalities in access to education and the labor market for women, particularly in fragile environments such as Myanmar. Faced with training often insufficient to guarantee sustainable professional integration and a lack of concrete economic opportunities, YAKAN was born as a response to these structural problems. By offering comprehensive support, from training to market access, the company aims to fill these gaps and offer real prospects for autonomy. To better understand the genesis of YAKAN, its evolution, and its role within this ecosystem, we invite you to consult the dedicated article above.

https://www.opportunityforwomen.org/en/blogs/carnet-de-voyage/quand-un-reve-devient-realite-yakan-une-entreprise-sociale-pour-les-artisanes-du-myanmar

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