JOIN USIf we trace the most-talked-about topic in recent years then ‘women empowerment’ will top the list, not just in India but also around the globe. The focus is on bridging the gap between opposite genders. It’s about providing them with equal social, personal and professional opportunities, thereby retaining her dignity.
Whether be the issue or its upshot, there has been a rise in both. Women have emerged and outshinedin different walks of life. And when it comes to entrepreneurship, they are hard to hold back now. Such an example was seen at the ‘SCWEC Market Place Exhibition’ that brought together some of the successful women entrepreneur from the SAARC nations, who’ve set examples in their respective field. The show displayed uniquely crafted clothing, accessories, jewellery and lifestyle products.
Displaying handmade salwar-kameez and jacket at the exhibition was Faiza Samee, a well-known fashion designer from Pakistan who is credited to revive age-old embroidery across the Indian subcontinent. It was three decades ago, when she came up with the idea and took the step forward to popularise some of the rarest and most intricate embroideries, found anywhere in the world.
Samee has a different perspective regarding the way women are portrayed. She believes that the society highlights the pessimistic side which creates a differentimage altogether.
“In our society, the negativity about women, in the sense that they are treated badly, is spoken about a lot. I don’t think it’s like that. There is a lot of positivity in the women of the subcontinent. I don’t know why people want to show just the negative side. Women are respected a lot. It was an advantage for me to be a woman,” says Samee who managed to train and employ a large number of craftsmen.
But the undertaking was not an easy task for Samee. Lack of experienced craftsmen and lack of knowledge of the younger generation was an issue. But it was her commitment towards the dying art that she found a way.
“It was in late 70s when I realised that our own traditional embroideries have become unfashionable. I wanted to bring back the era, in terms of embroideries. But the karigars who have expertise in the field haven’t done that for over 20 years. However, I managed to get in touch with some of them. The younger karigars couldn’t match up to their
level. At that time, most of my manpower was between the age group of 70 – 80 years.
Eventually, the younger craftsman started coming and learning from those masters and they are still working with us,” she adds.
Gyem Lham runs a potato chips processing and manufacture company in Bhutan. The wrinkles on her face tell the story of her hard work and determination to seek out a living for herself and her family. “In Bhutan, it is very cold and there is no other way of generating income. The place, I belong is well known for its potato. I thought why not add some value to the potatoes and the income of the people over there. But procuring the machines was a problem because they are very expensive. But the government has opened farm shops in some districts that buy our products and helped us by giving 50 per cent discount on the machines. Today, our company is a popular name and employs a number of local farmers,” Lham tells Metrolife.
Another inspiring personality is Tauhida Haider, a recipient of many awards for her contribution to the business world. A Bangladesh-based IT professional, owner of a designer house and a brilliant painter, Haider is also a member of Women Enterpreneur Association of Bangladesh.
“I was always attracted to the idea of undertaking a business. My parents and my husband encouraged me in that direction. When I started off, the problem which I faced was of marketing. But then it geared up and now I’m exporting my products to the US and other European countries. Women entrepreneurs should be promoted on a higher level. You need to show your product to the world which can give you exposure,” points out Haider.
Rabi Muradi is the president of Rabia Maryam Handicrafts Company in Afghanistan. Giving employment to over 3,000 village women, Muradi’s company expertises in silk and
silver jewellery.
Says Muradi, "We train our employees how to get silk from silkworms and make clothes out of them. We also make silver jewellery which is very popular in that region.”
The entrepreneurs were felicitated at a ceremony organised by FICCI-FLO and they also displayed traditional craft and indigenous culture from their respective countries in the exhibition.