Embroidery works make 50,000 rural women self-reliant in N-dists

RANGPUR, Apr 16 (BSS): The ornamental stitching of embroidery has become an effective venture to bring economic self-reliance to over 50,000 unemployed, poor and distressed rural women in the northern districts.
The venture of embroidering that includes spangling and ornamental stitching on feminine clothes, has been expanding fast attracting rural women of different ages following huge demand of their handworks in the market.
According to sources, thousands of rural women have been changing their fortune and winning over abject poverty by earning through embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes.
Executive Director of Rangpur-based research organisation 'Northbengal Institute of Development Studies' Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said some of the rural women started such initiatives at homes in a scattered way several years ago.
"But, these home-based embroidery works have now got the shape of a growing cottage industry almost everywhere in the rural areas," he said.
Many rural women have launched small- scale enterprises after receiving training and assistance from different government and non-government organisations, local traders and entrepreneurs.
Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS, Bangladesh, Monjusree Shaha said many rural women attracted to embroidery work have won over poverty and started dreaming better future for their children. About 2,400 unemployed, distressed and victim women have so far achieved self-reliance under various assistance of the NGO alone, she added.
Entrepreneur of embroidery industry Chand Mia of village Chandkuthi Danga in Rangpur said he has expanded the venture generating employment for many poor women through creating expert spangling, 'Chumki' and embroidery artisans.
He supplies simple sarees' various types of 'Chumki', anti-pipe, dhania puthi, tire puthi, pet-pipe, phooljori, laljori, sadajori, dhole Chumki, stitching inputs, yarns and threads to the women to make those more attractive by stitching ornamental needle works.
He said most of the females, including housewives, school and college going girls, have been setting 'Chumki' during their off time to earn sitting at their homes.
Each of the sarees is being sold in Dhaka markets at any price between Taka 10,000 and Taka 30,000 and the sarees made by more skilled hand is sold at the price up to Taka 45,000, he said.
Successful 'Chumki', craftswomen Sohana, Shameema, Marjina, and Mollika said they have become self-reliant through these ornamental embroidery works like many other women and adolescents winning over abject poverty.