ARDR Cooperative head Shin Seon-hwa, front row right, poses with the organization's members at its Bomun-dong office in Seongbuk District, Seoul. Courtesy of ARDR Cooperative

While the number of female marriage immigrants has surged in Korea, they often face hurdles trying to identify a source of income. ARDR Cooperative head Shin Seon-hwa said the entity provides work opportunities for female marriage immigrants in Korea, enriching their sense of empowerment and dignity through economic activity.

ARDR Cooperative was established in 2021 in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, with a mission of supporting economic independence for marriage immigrants in Korea. The members are from Bolivia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Columbia and Mexico, among others. Their fabric goods and fashion accessories are made from recycled materials and biodegradable.

"We take great pride in the products we make that are of high quality and are eco-friendly. We hope to fortify the reach of our initiative and share the importance of hard work, no matter the circumstances," she said.

Eco-friendly hemp loofahs made by ARDR Cooperative / Courtesy of ARDR Cooperative

The commitment of strong conviction and solidarity led Shin to participate in the fourth round of My Future, My Business, a social contribution program jointly organized by the Korea Foundation for Women (KFW) and J.P. Morgan. It was launched in 2015 to empower female small-business owners and bolster their economic independence.

Over 40 women made the list to join this year's program through July. They underwent training on the technical operations of their websites and marketing strategies.

"Goods we make are of great quality, as recognized by many of our customers. We seek strong sales online and offline, a task made less daunting thanks to the program," Shin said.

Previous sales were limited to government purchases using discretionary spending of taxpayers' money overseen by the Seongbuk District Office.

However, the head now aims higher, as envisioned and advanced by more sophisticated member-generated content and promotional campaigns on social media accounts.

"We made sales of 30 million won ($21,641) last year. I hope this year will be a lot more promising. I have faith in what we do."