Fair Trade Forum-India along with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, B & S Foundation and Believe India organised an exhibition cum sale of products made by rural women entrepreneurs from 13th to 22nd March 2015 at Gram Bharat, Sec-8, R.K Puram, New Delhi. Eminent Kathak Exponent-Ms Nalini Kamalini was invited to inaugurate the exhibition.
Fifteen organisations represented by women producers /entrepreneurs participated in this event and got benefit through this fair. The exhibition provided a great opportunity for women producer groups across India to showcase their talents through their unique handicrafts and textiles. The exhibition also provided a platform for rural women producers to interact with urban women entrepreneurs and exchange creative ideas, skills and expertise. Free acupressure consultation from expert doctor was also provided for the visitors. Best of the products like- handicrafts, tribal paintings, fashion jewellery made by tribal people, silk saris, silver jewellery, bed covers, kurtis, stoles, shawls, handmade sweaters, handmade species and food items, home decor, baskets, tribal jewellery were displayed in the exhibition.
The total sale generated in this event was Rs. 2 lakh.
Exhibition Highlights:
16th March 2015: Three Vice Chairperson of National Yuva Kendra Sangathan- Shri Vishnu Dutt Sharma, Shri Shekhar Rao Perala, Shri Dilip Saikia visited Gram Bharat and interacted with the artisans.
17th March 2015: Shri Muralidhar Rao, Indian political activist and politician, currently serving as a National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) visited the exhibition and appreciated the initiative.
18th March2015: Additional Development Commissioner Handicrafts Shri Navraj Goyal, Ministry of Textile, Govt. of India, visited Gram Bharat and interacted with the artisans. He assured his full support to the handicraft work done by rural women artisans. Interacting with the artisans, producers and traders, he said that special attention will be given to the women artisans. He also added that marketing and promotion is essential for the survival of artisans.
“Our ministry is very keen to support such women artisans across India. Women are playing a key role in our society and in handicraft. We are trying to help them with various schemes and will surely provide a better platform for them,” said Shri Navraj Goyal.
Women are not only entrepreneurs but are also supporting other women to get jobs and become independent in different fields. Their skills are benefitting the other women to have access to life changing skills and are showcasing their talent. Small and medium enterprises run by women will get a good business platform wherein market and people will come together.
22nd March 2015: MLA Ms. Bhawana Gaur visited the exhibition on 22nd March.
Though the urban women entrepreneurs are carving their niche in this competitive world heading shoulder to shoulder with men, at the same time the village women entrepreneurs must also be moulded properly with entrepreneurial traits and skills to meet the changes in trends, challenges in global markets and also be competent enough to sustain and strive for excellence in the entrepreneurial arena. WEAVE campaign is helpful for women where they can join hands by breaking the geographical boundaries of rural and urban India. The visitors thus got the opportunity to face to face with the real ‘hands’ behind the product they are purchasing.
The exhibition was successfully concluded on 22nd March 2015. Customers had a lovely time of shopping and connecting with producers from Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Manipur, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Tibetan refugees in India. The event was fruitful in taking the message of Fair Trade to the Indian consumers and creating awareness on women’s development in today’s time through leadership and entrepreneurship.