MEGHAN Markle’s £712 “ethical” handbag sold by her new online shop is being “made by Rwandans paid just 10p an hour”.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, launched her latest venture last week shortly after posting a rare photo of herself with her two children.
9
9
9
The Duchess posted the snap of herself with Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet on the Instagram account of her As Ever brand, tagging herself in.
She added a dove emoji and wrote: “Every day is a love story.”
An hour after posting the loving family pic, she revealed she now has a “ShopMy” page featuring “a hand-picked and curated collection of the things I love — I hope you enjoy them”.
They include Heidi Merrick’s “Windsor” gown for an eye-watering £1,068, a £600 pair of Saint Laurent sandals, a £400 necklace and a £148 linen shirt.
Meanwhile, the woven white bag, which Meghan was snapped wearing while walking with Prince Harry on a trip to Colombia, also appears on the website.
All the clothes and accessories listed have links for followers to click and buy, and Meghan may get money when they do.
A disclaimer says: “Please note, some products may contain commissionable links!”
As reported by MailOnline, the Duchess became a minority shareholder in Cesta Collective days after being seen wearing the handbag.
The business was set up by two New York natives who employ Rwandan women to make their bags.
The company claims to offer “dignified employment opportunities for talented female artisans”.
But it was reported, after Meghan’s investment, the female labourers are allegedly only paid 10p an hour.
A Mail on Sunday probe claimed some workers only went home with 82p for a full day of crafting.
This equated to less than £1.70 a day – the limit the World Bank categorises as “extreme poverty”.
One weaver called Didacienne Musengimana claimed: “We use our income to supplement what we earn from farming, but it’s difficult. I can’t say the money is bad, but I do wish it was more.”
9
9
9
Another employee said: “The gap between the price [they sell for] and what we get paid is very big.”
Meanwhile, ShopMy’s founder Tiffany Lopinsky revealed people who use the online outlet can rake in more than a million dollars per year.
Creators can be paid up to 30 per cent commission off the products they move through their shopfront.
This could mean the Duchess is pocketing as much as £210 from the handbag sales.
Meghan said previously: “With Cesta, I really started to understand how many women’s lives were being impacted and uplifted through their work. That was incredibly important to me.”
A Cesta Collective spokesman said: “Cesta Collective was founded to create consistent, dignified employment opportunities for talented female artisans in developing regions. Since inception, we have upheld our mission and remain committed to growing our business and the livelihoods of those who help bring our handbags to life.
“Cesta has acted in good faith and understanding through our partnership with All Across Africa which operates on the ground in Rwanda.
“Recent allegations are an attempt to discredit that work with speculative information that has been unethically manipulated.
“We remain committed to ensuring success is shared equitably by everyone involved.”
The Sun contacted Cesta Collective and The Duchess of Sussex for comment.
This comes as Meghan dropped the trailer for her new podcast today – and she promises “girl talk”.
The mum-of-two announced earlier this month her latest business venture, Confessions Of A Female Founder, would launch on April 8.
Confessions Of A Female Founder will feature eight episodes and focus on Meghan’s journey as an entrepreneur.
It follows the release of her eight-part Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, which saw her making meals and crafting with Hollywood pals.
The new podcast which succeeds her first, Archetypes, will see the mum-of-two chatting to small business owners and how they grew their empires.
Read More on The US Sun
This will complement the launch of her latest re-brand, As Ever, which has so far teased products including fruit preserves and embroidered napkins.
Meanwhile, royal experts Phil Dampier and Dickie Arbiter slammed “tacky” Meghan for “exploiting” her children to promote her new businesses.
9
9
9
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
