Women Weavers Welfare Initiative in Baragaon village, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh

Project Period: 1st May 2017 to 30th April 2018

Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh state has a thriving craft of hand woven fabrics. However, with increasing mechanization of production, power looms, dominance of middle men and other such factors, many weavers are forced to leave their traditional profession and migrate to towns and cities in search of alternate employments. A few families continue to weave and are bearing the responsibility of preserving the age old practice. Interestingly, most of the weaving units are led by women weavers in these households.

With a view to support and ensure wellbeing of the women weavers, AMAN Trust in collaboration with Baragaon Weaves LLP, a handloom weavers enterprise and with support from American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has begun this modest initiative with weaver families in Baragaon village of Baranbanki district. The project aims at building the capacities of the women weavers on- promoting them draw fair wages, create a sustainable livelihood, skill up-gradation and sensitize them on basic health, hygiene and social issues.

The project intervention had encouraged many young women weavers to take charge of their weaving unit while engaging in regular production of good quality hand woven cotton products. Some women are also assisting their male counterpart in various forms of embroidery craft works like zardozi and chikankar. Leading online stores like JAYPORE, ITOKRI, AMAZON.IN are promoting sale of their hand woven produce. Many other brand studios like – EitherOr, JiCuration, Anoothi, are also stocking up with these hand woven products.