Weaving the Beads of Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship through Jewelry Design

BY KRISTINA LEIS

Weaving the Beads of Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship through Jewelry Design

Alternate title “Gems of Activism; Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship”

In her current position, Luma Awad, owner and designer of Inamul-lumani teaches women in Yemen how to empower themselves through jewelry design. Her virtual seminars are so popular and Luma never saw herself here at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. As a young woman with a family, Luma longed to create her own independence and allow herself to stay home and be present with her family.

As a Jordanian-Canadian woman, travelling through Europe and living in Greece, her desire to stay home with her children and also create a career beyond her legal studies, lit a fire within her that showed up as a surprise gift from her husband for a jewelry design course, in Greek.

Not knowing the language, Luma reflects, “The challenge was that it was in Greek. But I took it. I said fine, I’ll take the challenge. I can see what people are making and I can do the same thing, because for me art has always been an international language”, revealing her own ability to connect and inspire herself through personal challenges. “As I began to make my own designs I would get compliments while taking my daughter for an outing, it always felt nice to say I made it, when asked about the necklace I was wearing.” Luma reflects on the confidence from modeling her own designs to the boost she needed to start her own business. Her friends in Greece encouraged her to showcase her jewelry while having coffee and it catalyzed her inspiration. Serendipity was on her side, as Luma was being encouraged by her friends to show off her talent and creativity within her incredible designs.

“I carried on, I started joining bazaars, you know, on a small scale, Christmas time, I got a lot of support from friends, who hosted a morning coffee and asked me to bring my jewelry.”

As Luma and her family began travelling more throughout Europe her inspiration grew, she began drawing inspiration from the places and cultures she was surrounded by. “I would explore more and more with materials and stones, and collect more items and weave them into a wearable piece that tells a story”.

As she learned more techniques, from diamond setting to traditional handmade jewelry techniques, Luma felt she was not done there. She says “I wanted to create more impact, I wanted to raise awareness on some causes through a wearable piece when you wear it and people compliment you, you can tell the story.”

When a friend of hers lost her brother to cancer, it ignited her passion for social activism, and she began working with the Cancer Centre foundation in Jordan to refurbish their outpatient treatment centre. “I remember the struggle of his parents, so I felt like I really wanted to do something, and so I contacted the family and together came up with the idea of a collection to assist in their plan to refurbish the treatment centre for kids with cancer. We created a full collection; earrings, pendants, rosaries, you name it, and parts of the proceeds were donated.”

The beginning of her activism ignited a passion of humanitarianism within her heart which was just beginning. Her activism expanded as a collection to raise awareness for early mammograms and breast cancer came about as her next project. Luma says “I was involved in another [campaign], one which was raising awareness for early screening and mammograms for underprivileged women and supporting them in Jordan.” This second collection was different, as it included the symbolism of the number seven. Luma reveals how her collection included “seven positive words, and each word was connected with a colour, seven colours of the rainbow, the world was created in seven days and in Arabic the seven is a sign of victory, and so the number was very positive along with the words. And so we got a lot of support from public figures and celebrities wearing these bracelets and raising awareness”.

Her passion for activism slowed down as she moved back to Canada. In Canada she says “I did a collection fighting against human trafficking, which raised funds for a Charity organization called “Free-them”. It started because I felt that not enough people knew that human trafficking happens in our backyards, and so this collection was my giving back as an artist and it rippled out as people told the story of the pieces they were wearing”.

While reflecting on her journey Luma acknowledges her inspiration from her Grandmother who seemingly created something out of nothing. As she reflects on her primary source of inspiration “my own journey was a bit difficult, I always watched my grandmother decorate with beads, and do crochet work, and I never saw her bored, she always created something out of nothing, and that always fascinated me. And I think of her often when I start a project and I don’t have materials, and I think ‘okay let me think how she would do it’.” Inspiration was never far

away with the memory of her Grandmother’s ability to create and inspire. As Luma continued reflecting she noticed a passion for giving back on the parts of her journey which were significant, she says “and looking back on my story I think how difficult it was to find resources and now we have Youtube but I have a need to give back to those who are struggling to do something while home with their kids. And that’s how all this started, I was at home with my kids, and I wanted to do something that was my own.”

Now, twenty years later, everything Luma teaches women in Yemen through Zoom seminars helps to illuminate their lives in a new way. Offering something they’ve never had before; personal freedom, time to themselves, and the ability to still stay home and be present with their children, bringing with it her passion for creativity, empowerment and connection.