New Delhi [India], April 13 : National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with the High Commission of Canada and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India orgsed the 'Women Artisan Exhibition' on Wednesday to provide employment opportunities to women based on their traditional knowledge and skills.
While speaking to , NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said, "Recently, I visited Bhuj and the idea came from there that their product should reach different countries and also to the exporters who can sell their products to different countries.
"This is the first step. Now we have orgsed the first exhibition and hopefully, they will get opportunities to sell their products in different countries. People will be coming, the embassies coming here to see the product and buy it. I want to showcase their product all over the world because it is beautiful".
Rekha Sharma further mentioned that this initiative will help women in making them empowered on the economic front.
"Women are making these products and selling them. The money will go to them and their families. They have to be economically empowered and I strongly feel that every woman should be empowered economically and that is why we are hand-holding them," she said.
"All over Gujarat, they have come from every district to showcase their unique art. Not only in Gujarat but even if you go to other states, every state has got their own art and culture. So, we must showcase all the art and culture of all the states. Hopefully, we will do it with different states," she added.
On the occasion, Acting High Commissioner of Canada Amanda Strohan said, 'I am impressed by the creativity and professionalism of these women artisans. Canada is very proud to be a co-host of this event. We know that if we help women in becoming entrepreneurs it will help them to be empowered economically which is the best way for us to grow communities and societies.
"Full empowerment and participation of women and girls in our society is the best way to achieve this goal. So, we are very proud to share with India the objective of women & girls' empowerment and be a co-host of today's event," she added.
EDII Director General Sunil Shukla mentioned that supporting the artisans through the required means has helped revive the culture of weaving arts.
EDII Director General Sunil Shukla told , "The handicraft of Gujarat is very famous and we are connected to them. There is a scheme of the Gujarat government named 'Hastkalasetu Yojana' and we are connected with them as a technical partner institution and are working with these artists. We give them new designs, market linkages, technology support, hand-holding, grooming, mentoring and access to the market be it across the world or through digital marketing. The results are really good. This has revived the few weaving arts which were dead earlier".
A plastic weaving artisan at the exhibition mentioned the process of forming clothes and bags by cutting plastic.
"Waste plastic is very harmful. So, we have a group of 50 women. We go to villages and collect the plastic. First, we ask our sisters not to buy plastic, but even if you're buying it, don't throw it because it causes a lot of pollution. We collect the plastic and wash them. We cut it and then we weave it and form clothes and from that, we make our bags," the artisan said.
During the exhibition, a Mat Pacheri artisan explained the domestic utility of this art.
"Mat Pacheri is 700-year-old art and the work is done with hands with the use of bamboo sticks. The colours used in it are natural colours. Our family has traditionally practised it for generations. I am the 9th generation who is working on it. Recently, this craft has been given a lot of awards. Initially, this craft was used in villages for puja purposes, but now it has been spread across the world and now it is seen as an art. This art is displayed in many museums. A small piece of pacheri takes at least 7 days to make," the artisan said.
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