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Nevertheless, their packaging not just
limited to the women in the coffee industry,
but they want to use their brand image to em-
power women in all different perspectives. For
example, the Girls Who Grind Coffee’s debut
packaging, which is a woman portrait with a
red lip and holding her breast, is inspired by
the work done by breast cancer chairy Coppa-
feel! for breast cancer awareness. Part of their
Photo / Kelly Sikkema
profits from the coffee also goes to the charity.
Ben said: “The industry, not just the
coffee world, is not always a fair place to be for
women, so I am keen to help and support fe-
male-owned businesses wherever possible, to C
redress the balance and promote equality in
M
every area.”
Y
Brought up in a very equal family and
having many independent female friends and CM
clients, supporting women is a very normal MY
thing for Ben. However, for most industries, CY
especially the coffee industry, it still takes a
CMY
long way to go.
K
As most of the women professionals in
the coffee sectors are farmers in rural house-
holds, they have little access to education and
finance compared to men. In some coffee-pro-
ducing countries, women coffee farmers don’t
even allow to have land certifications and
property rights, as the Gender Equality in the
Coffee Sector stated.
Therefore, it is essential that more brands
like Girls Who Grinds Coffee can speak up for
women in the industry. It is also important that
more men like Ben can be fully supported to
women in the coffee industry.
Nevertheless, no matter what gender
you are, the most basic and vital thing every-
one can do is to realize the problem and to
start from ourselves to shrink the gap. For
example, “if you’re profiting on coffee you
should ensure there is fairness along the
chain, from bean to cup, whether it’s gender
equality, racial equality or social and eco-
nomic class,” as Ben suggested.

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