Skill development workshop to empower women in Kashmir

When an assistant professor and a textile designer from New Delhi thought of doing something for women empowerment in Kashmir, they landed in a village close to the Line of Control (LoC) to start resource mapping and a skill development workshop for border women.

For Shresha, an Assistant Professor at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and Asha Rawat, an independent textile designer and educator from New Delhi, this would not have been possible without the assistance of the Army.

Both the dynamic ladies designed, planned, and executed a seven-day workshop at Chuntiwari village, near the LoC in Macchal sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “The aim was to identify locally available resources in the area and explore techniques that can be achieved with the support of the local ecosystem aiming to explore product ideas with a vernacular expression,” Rawat told DH.

A total of 47 women and girls in the age group of 17-40 years benefited from the workshop and learned wet felting techniques using local wool, she said. The technique of felting, one of the oldest fiber crafts, was taught to initiate and seed the appreciation of design, craft, and material.

According to reports and eyewitnesses, the enthusiasm among trainees was visible through their questions and interest in tracing back their heritage roots, where many have seen their ancestors making ‘Namdas’, which is now obsolete in the region.

The introductory session of the workshop was organised at the auditorium of Army Goodwill School, Raghvan, Chuntiwari. The training started with a session by the Commanding Officer of the local Army Unit, who introduced the experts to the trainees and motivated them to make the best use of the opportunity and time they have to learn.