October 12, 2025

Updates from Fundación Urdir on Project Under Democracy at Work Fund

Over the course of five days in late August, three leading members of the Wichí Indigenous women workers’ group that Fundación Urdir collaborates with in Salta traveled to Buenos Aires to take part in a transformative and impactful agenda. The trip allowed them to amplify their voices, open up new direct sales opportunities, and — most importantly — build living networks with designers, organizations, and artists.

A key highlight was their participation in ArteBA, Argentina’s most important contemporary art fair, where they successfully exhibited and sold out a collection of bags co-designed with contemporary designers. These pieces were the result of a co-creation process that took place in their territory, made possible by the project. The collaboration brought together ancestral Indigenous knowledge with contemporary design, and the response from the public was incredibly positive.

In addition, the women led weaving workshops, gave media interviews, participated in discussion circles with other organizations, and spoke publicly about their experiences as Indigenous women, workers, and community leaders working to strengthen their rights and collective organization.

It was a powerful experience that highlighted the importance of creating these spaces of exchange and collaboration to increase the visibility, autonomy, and sustainability of their work.