Role of Women in the Shawl Industry of Kashmir
By: Murchana Goswami
The shawl industry of Kashmir has a rich history and is known for manufacturing some of the finest shawls around the world. These shawls are a symbol of elegance and luxury owing to their intricate designs, use of alluring colors, and soft texture. Kashmiri shawls have been in the limelight for decades, both locally and globally, and are knitted by generations of skilled artisans. However, underneath the glamorous façade of these shawls lies the hard work and dedication of women, who play an imperative role in contributing to the shawl industry of Kashmir and guiding it towards development.
Women’s contribution to the creation of shawls has been quite dynamic in the way that they have been active in various capacities, from spinning and weaving to dyeing and embroidering the shawls. They have been quite instrumental in preserving ancient designs and techniques as part of their heritage. And their skills have been passed down from generation to generation.
For ages, women have played a crucial role in the creation of shawls in Kashmir. Despite their enormous contributions, women’s role in the shawl industry is often overlooked. In this article, we will take a closer look at the role of women in the shawl industry of Kashmir and will also examine the wider impact of the shawl industry on the people and communities of Kashmir.
Socio-Economic Impact
Kashmir’s shawl business has a tremendous socio-economic impact on the region and its people. Here are some of the ways the industry influences the area:
Job Opportunities: The shawl industry has opened various job opportunities for a vast number of people, including weavers, dyers, and others involved in the manufacturing process. This has resulted in a decline in poverty and it has helped in improving the living standards of many families. The shawl business is a source of income for women and has become an important aspect of the local economy. The income generated by shawl creation has enabled many women to support their families and acquire financial independence.
Economic Development: The shawl industry contributes substantially to Kashmir’s economy, generating significant revenue through exports and local sales. The industry has also attracted investment and created new prospects for businesses in the region.
Preservation of Cultural Heritage: The shawl business is inextricably related to Kashmir’s cultural history and has assisted in the preservation of traditional weaving processes and designs. This has helped to preserve the distinct identities of the region and its people. Weaving shawls traditionally is a time-consuming and labor-intensive technique that requires a high level of expertise and patience. Women in Kashmir who work in the shawl industry have honed these skills for decades, passing them down from one generation to the next. This has ensured that shawl weaving remains an essential component of local culture and heritage.
Women Empowerment: Women play a vital role in the shawl business, both as weavers as well as entrepreneurs. This has helped in uplifting women in the region and provided them with a voice in the local economy. The shawl industry has also given women a chance to be creative and express themselves. Shawl designs reflect local culture and customs, and are frequently inspired by nature and the surrounding environment. Women in Kashmir take pride in their craft and pour their hearts and souls into each shawl they create.
Enhancement in Tourism: The shawl industry has helped to boost tourism in Kashmir, with visitors coming from all over the world to see the beautiful shawls and learn about the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Education: The income generated from the shawl business has allowed many families to send their children to schools, improving access to education and helping to break the cycle of poverty. Education has also helped young people, who may not want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, by opening up opportunities for them to pursue other careers and ventures.
Major Challenges in the Industry
Over the years, the shawl industry in Kashmir has faced numerous obstacles. Competition from machine-made shawls and a decline in demand for hand-woven shawls have had a negative impact on the industry. This has led to a diminution in the number of women who are able to earn a livelihood from shawl production.
Despite the fact that women play a vital part in the shawl industry, their achievements have gone unnoticed and undervalued. One explanation for this is the persistent gender disparity that prevails in numerous traditional businesses, including the shawl industry. Women are often paid less than men, and they are frequently denied opportunities for training and development. This is specifically true in the case of rural areas, where the majority of the shawls are prepared.
Moreover, the introduction of weaving equipment and the subsequent decline in pay over the last 30 years have driven women out of the craft and taken away their financial independence.
In Srinagar, urban poverty is a reality, with half of the workers being women. Hand spinning at home was a task that women used to do all the time, but it is now rare to witness.
Women artisans connected with Shawl embroidery in Baramulla’sPutharKreeri hamlet have been losing their individuality since most artists have left the business owing to financial difficulties. The village is well-known for its shawl needlework, which was practiced by almost 300 people. They said that they have been unable to earn for the past year, and as a result, they have gone bankrupt. “Most of the ladies have given up employment owing to a lack of wages,” they explained.
Despite these challenges, women have continued to work in the shawl industry primarily for their love of their craft and a desire to provide for their families.
Another major issue is the industry’s lack of formalization and regulation, which makes it difficult for workers to obtain benefits and protections. A lack of investment in the industry has hampered its growth and development. Furthermore, the shawl business is facing greater competition from cheaper, lower-quality imports, which has harmed the quality and reputation of Kashmiri shawls.
Zamrooda Begum, 52, is a skilled handicraft artist and businesswoman from Kund in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. With the explicit objective of helping women to attain financial independence, she has developed dozens of Handicraft centers in different remote parts of Kashmir, where at least 4000 capable women make a livelihood. In recent years, inflation has taken a heavy toll on the sector, but the government has done nothing to support the faltering business. Zamrooda hopes that the government would help Kashmir’s indigenous handicraft artists. She claims that the government has ceased purchasing handmade items, lowering their prices since they now have to sell them to private enterprises. Zamrooda goes around the villages in south Kashmir and motivates women to learn the art and earn their livelihood.
Ladies spinning raw pashmina into yarn on a traditional wooden spinning wheel known locally as Yinder were formerly a regular sight in Kashmiri households. Cheap shawls from automated mills, however, along with low salaries, dealt a devastating blow to authentic Kashmiri stoles. The number of women engaged with handspun pashmina shawls in Kashmir has declined dramatically over time, but a rare initiative to double pay and secure year-round orders, as well as the advent of a new spinning wheel that operates by pedal, to yarn pashmina, are expected to turn things around.
A girl from the Ganderbal region of central Kashmir’s ChountWaliwar area had given up pashmina spinning. “Low earnings and machines have played a part in discouraging women from doing this employment,” she explained. She is, nevertheless, optimistic that things will change for the better now. Another woman stated that the technique of spinning yarn on a traditional wheel was so significant that it was considered a must for a girl to marry. She stated that Charkha or Yinder was also a favorite of poets in the past and that numerous songs were written about it. Both artisans express gratitude to the department for establishing the training facility, where, in addition to traditional Yinder instruction, the pedal-powered modern spinning wheel is taught.
Even with their low wages, there is no assurance that they will receive their money on time. When an artisan completes a contract, it may take up to two or three months for the person or organization that commissioned the work to pay them. “We are simply laborers in the craft. There is a chain of contractors in between. The real money is made by the retailers and it’s we who do the hard work,” adds another artist, 45-year-old Hajira Begum. “Wages are the key concern. They are being paid what they were paid 20 years ago, which has jeopardized the industry’s survival,” says Parvez Ahmad Bhat, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Artisans Rehabilitation Forum.
Initiatives Taken for the Advancement of the Shawl Industry
Attempts have been undertaken in recent years to revive the shawl business and preserve the old skills of the women who work in it. Women in the business have received training and support from non-governmental groups and the government. They have also campaigned for the use of natural colors and traditional designs. These measures have aided in increasing demand for handwoven shawls and boosting the morale of the dying sector.
The Centre for Excellence (CFE) was founded in the Narwaraneighborhood of the old city by shawl trader MujtabaKadri, who owns the ‘Me&K’ brand, and the Aadhyam-Aditya Birla Group to reestablish the lost hand-driven processes involved in the complex shawl weaving business.
“Traditional weaving techniques are rapidly vanishing in Kashmir. Low pay and machinery have contributed to the emigration of women who used to spin the finest yarns in the world. Our project aims to restore the luster of hand-made shawls,” says Mr.Kadri.
The CFE has decided to raise women’s salaries from one to two dollars for every knot of ten threads with 10-inch-long yarn.
According to estimates, women’s participation in shawl weaving has dropped from one lakh to around 10,000 in the Kashmir Valley. It has had an influence on hand-made shawl activities including sorting, dusting, dehairing, combing, spinning, and finishing, all of which were formerly controlled by women.
In the backdrop of this tendency, the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, has set a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for geographical indication (GI)-certified hand-made Pashmina shawls “to perpetuate the existing skills”.
“The minimum salary for a spinner is currently set at Rs 1.25. We have recommended a Minimum Support Price of 12,000 for GI-certified plain Pashmina hand-spun and hand-woven shawls,” said Mahmood Shah, Director of Handicrafts and Handloom in Kashmir.
He claimed the government was making all necessary efforts to guarantee that persons who employ ancient techniques and practices are “incentivized and encouraged”. “For the first time, wage fixing will aid in restoring hand-spinning and hand-weaving, which have made Kashmiri shawls renowned,” Mr. Shah remarked. The initiative is anticipated to create jobs and improve the economic prospects of Kashmiri shawl weavers, who have been producing exquisite and sought-after shawls for decades.
According to a Handloom Department official, three training centers in the district have been built, including Serech, Waliwar, and Rangil, where 20 women are trained every year. Women were once the backbone of the pashmina shawl value chain. Women manage all aspects of the shawl-making process, including sorting, dusting, dehairing, combing, spinning, and finishing. Unlike machines, spinning on a traditional Kashmiri charkha produces longer strands of Pashmina wool with fine hair-like size, adding to the product’s softness and warmth.
Overall, the shawl industry has had a significant impact on the socio-economic development of Kashmir and its people. The industry provides livelihoods and income to thousands of people, improves access to education, and helps to preserve the cultural heritage of the region. However, there are also challenges and obstacles that must be addressed in order to ensure the smooth running of the industry in the future. It is critical that the government and other stakeholders work together to address these issues and support the shawl industry so that it can continue to provide a source of income, employment, and cultural pride to the people of Kashmir.
Murchana is an English Literature Postgraduate who conducts research on education, skill development, and entrepreneurship.
Courtesy www.jkpi.org
Kashmir Images is an English language daily newspaper published from Srinagar (J&K), India. The newspaper is one of the largest circulated English dailies of Kashmir and its hard copies reach every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley besides Jammu and Ladakh region.
