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A social worker in Rajasthan has created a revolution by helping 15,000 women stand on their own feet.
Ms Lata Kachhawaha, along with other social workers, has taught women in Barmer to sell their traditional embroidery works to foreign clients and in the process earned a global identity for Kashidakari.
The embroidery is used to decorate shawls, handkerchiefs, bed covers, cushions, bags and a number of other items.
"Three decades ago, life in Barmer was quite different as women rarely worked," said Ms Lata, who is from Jodhpur and moved to Barmer when she was young. "One worked as a police constable while three were employed in a school. So getting them to work was quite challenging.
"I joined Sure (Society to Uplift Rural Economy) and together with its members we started imparting training to the women in groups of 100 to 150. Over 20 years, the number touched 15,000.
"Now the women are linked to different groups and markets to sell their works and earn a decent living."
Till a few decades ago, Kashidakari creations were limited to certain families in Barmer. It was given as dowry to decorate homes or gifted to family members.
Today, renowned brands such as Fabindia, Ikea and Rangsutra get a large part of their material from the women of the Meghwal community in Barmer.
Kashidakari has also found fame in foreign countries, with exhibitions and sales held in Germany, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
"Today, many women are involved in this work," said Ms Lata. "This has helped several girls to receive education."
She got designers from the National Institute of Design and National Institute of Fashion Technology to hold workshops and help the women develop over 250 designs in accordance with the latest trends.
For her initiative, Ms Lata was awarded the International Prize for Women Creativity in Rural Areas by the Government of Switzerland and the Mahila Shakti Award by the Rajasthan government.
She credits her mother for her achievements. "My mother would tell me that while society has many ways to dictate what a woman should do, I should stay focused and carve my own path," said Ms Lata. "She encouraged me to be educated, and I finished my post-graduate degree in law before coming to Barmer.
"Her words inspired me to ensure that other girls got the opportunity to realise their dreams."
Indo-Asian News Service
