• by Tanya Gazdik , March 2, 2015

Toms is launching a new product line -- the Toms Bag Collection -- with proceeds to help address the issue of maternal health worldwide.

Best known for its One for One initiative, in which the company donates a pair of shoes for every pair bought, the new unit will operate similarly.

With every Toms bag purchased, the company will help provide a safe birth for a mother and baby in need.

After years in the field, Toms Founder Blake Mycoskie says he recognized a need for advancements in maternal health.

"So we developed a program with our Giving Partners to identify two key ways Toms can aid in safer birthing conditions,” he said in a release. “Being able to give in this way -- one that helps save the lives of mothers and newborns -- is incredibly special.”

Mycoskie says the issue of maternal health is very close to his heart, as he just became a father this past December.

The collection features three distinct bag lines including artisan, travel-inspired, and campus and tech, in canvas, leather and global prints ranging from $28-$298. The bags are available at TOMS.com as well as select retailers worldwide. 

Funds from bag purchases will help provide safe births in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti and India. This work will be done by a network of Toms Giving Partners involved in maternal and child health programs, who will help provide training for skilled birth attendants, along with a safe birth kit that includes vital materials like soap, gloves, gauze, a cord clamp, surgical blade and a clean surface, to help a woman safely give birth.

Partners in this area include respected organizations such as United Nations Population Fund, BRAC and ayzh. In addition, Toms has selected Every Mother Counts as its maternal health advocacy partner.

Infection is a leading cause of death among mothers and newborns worldwide, and by providing clean birth conditions and skilled birth attendants, nearly half a million lives can be saved each year, according to the company.

Since its founding in 2006, Toms has given over 35 million pairs of new shoes around the world. Realizing that One for One could serve other global needs, the company launched Toms Eyewear in 2011 to help restore sight to persons in need with every purchase of sunglasses and optical frames. In 2014, Toms Roasting Co. launched with the mission to provide clean water to developing communities with the purchase of premium coffee. Since its debut, it has provided over 67,000 weeks of safe water to communities in need in seven countries.