PERSPECTIVE OF RURAL WOMEN SELF-HELP GROUPS

The era of Lakhi Banjara, considered the father of export of Indian rural products, is over. Indian handicrafts have become popular in European countries beyond the borders of Iran, Kabul and Uzbekistan. In the year 2021-22, Indian handicraftsmen exported products worth Rs 33253 crore. Which is a record. This is an increase of 30% compared to previous years. The highest export is to America at 36.76% and to United Arab Emirates at second place at 5.89%. Germany, England, Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia and Japan are also major buyers of Indian handicrafts. As a rough estimate, about seven million people are associated with the handicraft sector in the country. Most of whom are women. Due to paperwork and prescribed government procedures, most of the exports are done by medium class companies. However, the government has greatly simplified the IEC code and export licensing process. Still, half of the country’s population is yet to be connected to the export process of handicrafts. Because most of the handicraft products exported are made by rural women self-help groups. Which are bought and exported by middle class companies at throwaway prices.

In this regard, efforts are being started to provide reasonable prices to rural women self-help groups and to make them direct partners in the field of export.

The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, an institute considered to be a think tank of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, is organizing a workshop in the month of May in which experts related to exports as well as nodal officers of state governments have been invited so that rural development can take place. Women self-help groups can be directly linked to the field of export of handicrafts and handlooms. Practical aspects of export will be discussed in this workshop. Because it is important for the supply chain of the groups to be strong.

The Marketing Division of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj is already aware of the challenges of marketing handicrafts and handloom. Packaging and designing is a challenge faced by self-help groups in which there has been considerable improvement at some levels. With the help of NIFT and Indian Institute of Packaging, the quality of products of women of self-help groups has improved significantly, but there is still a long way to go. But a road map is being prepared for those self-help groups which are meeting the export criteria to export their products. As far as the positive aspects of the products of self-help groups are concerned, it is due to these bright aspects that the profits of the companies are increasing. Produced by rural women self-help groups Indian handicrafts give a clear glimpse of Indian art and culture. Even though it is no match to the weave of Paithani saree of Maharashtra, Pataula of Gujarat, Tat and Katha of Bengal, Sambhal Puri of Orissa, Chanderi of Madhya Pradesh and Banarasi saree of Banaras.

Villagers are involved in preserving and marketing many crafts including Dhokra craft of Bastar, Bhubaneswar Maha Balipuram, stone carving of Agra, Pipli craft of Kutch, Kodapalli of Andhra Pradesh, Madhubani of Bihar, Warli patting of Maharashtra, Patta paintings of Orissa, etc. Women of self-help groups have a major contribution. All the market forces are valuing the contribution of this half of the country’s population. Although there is a subtle psychology of the market which is based on the mathematics of profit and loss. Through Saras fairs, rural women understand customer psychology and market needs. Due to Saras Melas, business attitude has flourished among rural women. Women of 1999 era now bargain hard with customers.

The women of rural women self-help groups have not only preserved the cultural heritage of the country but have also crossed the threshold of their homes and made their place in the established norms of the market. This campaign of the National Rural Livelihood Mission related to women empowerment and employment is the biggest successful scheme in the whole world which has given new energy to the rural economy.

But the journey of becoming proficient in subjects like product decoration, design, packing, customer communication, pricing continues. National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Rural Development are sensitive in this direction and new training programs are being designed.

The initiatives have also been taken towards export of rural products which will soon yield meaningful results. Soon the products made by the skills of half the population will be visible on the world stage. When it will be their company and their profit.

At present, the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Rural Development have started initiatives in this direction.

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