The women of Nedumaram village in Sivaganga district are known for creating magic with their fingers weaving colourful art pieces with palm leaves. Their hard work and artistic skill receives appreciation only from those who get to see or buy their works. And their major buyers, to name a few, include the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan, the South Indian Producers Association, hotels from nearby Kanadukathan and Karaikudi or Banglaore and Chennai and those who see their products at an occasional crafts mela.
Many of these women are constantly fighting poverty, come from broken homes and are either single mothers or destitute. Right now, they have a limited source of income which is arranged through NGOs that price and market their items. If these women are given a better platform to build better opportunities, not only will their talent be recognised far and wide but their income will also grow.
Across the country our rural landscapes are dotted with many more women like them unable to make a decent living or who are sold into trafficking by their families to pay off debts. To enable them to build a better reality for themselves than the one that is thrust upon them, the Ministry of Women & Child Development (WCD) launched a portal exclusively for women entrepreneurs. “There are so many craftswomen in the country who make beautiful products or provide services but they do not get the right value,” says Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, the Union Minister for WCD.
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In the past there have been several government and non-governmental schemes and projects like crafts mela and mahila bazaars that have helped in restoring the dignity of women and also given them the independence from their families. But the rural craft persons and artisans also found themselves challenged by the rapid changes in technology and policy and changing market dynamics.
Sensitising women journalists who attended a PIB workshop hosted by her in Delhi, Maneka Gandhi said, it is for the first time, the Ministry used the power of technology for economic empowerment of women. The Mahila e-Haat portal, a joint initiative of the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh and WCD started three months ago, enables women anywhere in the country to display their goods for direct interaction with customers. Already the unique online bazaar has registered over 10,000 self help groups and impacted nearly 1,50,000 women who are happily and promptly putting out their works of art including clothes, jewellery, decoration and gift items, bags and baskets, pottery and carpets, groceries and organic products and also quoting their skills in tailoring, packaging, web designing and much more.
Maneka Gandhi is confident that the web-based platform with its unlimited reach will create a complete economic ecosystem for women entrepreneurs. “It will inspire, galvanise and integrate the efforts and create an entirely new generation of businesswomen by keeping the market at their doors,” she says.
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When women realise they are onto something that is financially beneficial, they will not only learn about how to boost the sales but also collectively contribute to preserving traditional occupations. The Small Industries Product Promotion Organisation, a joint venture of National Small Industries Corporation and Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation, that from time to time promotes micro, small, medium, village and rural industries and entrepreneurs in fields like handicrafts, floriculture, essential oils, cosmetic, aromatic industries, food and food processing industries through periodic training programmes, seminars, workshops and exhibitions could perhaps allow this huge amount of education to go into business growth with Mahila e-Haat.
Mahila e haat
Mahila e haat is the official site for women entrepreneurs set up with an investment of under Rs.10 lakh from Rashtriya Mahila Kosh under the WCD ministry for the socio-economic empowerment of women. Applicants above 18 years can register online free of cost (up to December 31, 2016) on the official web portal (www.mahilaehaat-rmk.gov.in). Women members of any self-help group are also eligible to log on to this online marketing portal. The Ministry may charge nominal one-time fee from sellers for registration of their products from next year.