case-study-tailoring

Overview In the district of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, a local NGO, “Swayamsiddha Mahila Samiti”, has initiated sewing project which has helped rural women in developing successful and sustainable tailoring enterprise. The program is aimed at women from disadvantaged backgrounds to skill them and teach them how to manage business. Objectives of the Program Implementation – Training and Workshops The program kicked off with a handful of sewing workshops that introduced beginners to the art of cutting and stitching. Training in traditional tailoring techniques for making nauvari sarees, Paithani blouses and lehenga cholis (garments specific to Maharashtra) The women also learned to make up-to-date clothing (as oppossed to period wear) and could sell their goods to towns-people. – Skills of Business and Entrepreneurship. The women also learned to manage their tailoring businesses, including how to price and track inventory, how to put together a marketing campaign (pictured), and customer service. They were also encouraged to start small tailoring units based out of their homes, with the NGO providing them sewing machines and material. – Linking with Markets With the help of the NGO, women were able to reach out to local markets and establishment owners. The women started getting orders for school uniforms, traditional Maharashtrian saree and even modern clothing to earn money. Women were also encouraged to show their creativity and skills at local fairs and exhibitions and were promoted to sell in such locations. Impact More than the participating women, their families, members of community felt the change caused by this initiative – Economic Independence The vast majority of the women that entered in the program were financially reliant on their husbands or seasonal agricultural work. Post training, they started earning ₹5,000-₹10,000 per month through tailoring which helped them support their families thus making headway towards a better lifestyle. – Empowerment and Confidence For women in general, it was not only a means of livelihood. It helped to power their confidence and independence. Experience running their own business helped them develop leadership skills and win credibility in their families and communities. – Cultural Preservation It did this by promoting local fabrics and embroidery techniques such as Warli designs, Paithani weaving among others. The garment was an ode to Maharashtrian heritage yet was able to cater to the modern style quotient of the 70’s that exalted femininity. In this way, the region rich cultural heritage was conserved and these traditional skills were promoted. – Challenges and Solutions Despite the program’s success, replicating to scale produce sales by the women was always going to be difficult largely due to inconsistencies in material availability and demand. To tackle this instead, the NGO implemented a bulk buying system which allows for women to pay lesser for buying fabric and materials. They also worked together to form relationships with fashion boutiques and online marketplaces for greater distribution. Key Learnings – Sewing for her was a Means to Financial Freedom Tailoring emerged as an effective means of economic independence for rural women. In the Swayamsiddha Mahila Samiti initiative, women had been demonstrated to work from home and could have small businesses generating enough income for themselves & of their family with proper training, resources, and market linkages. – Why Cultural Integration Matters Much of the program promoted success was because of traditional Maharashtrian designs and techniques integration. The women therefore have to preserve these customs so that they could sell in the market and even carve a niche for themselves. – Women Entrepreneur Support System The women’s collective had an impact on the success of the initiative with these support networks as a significant factor. The women also collaborated between their resources, shared information and at times even came together for bigger orders thus sustaining the business. Conclusion The work of tailoring as a skill is very transformative for rural women as portrayed by the “Swayamsiddha Mahila Samiti” initiative in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. It offers its women not only a consistent source of income, but also with self-confidence, skills and independence. The women of Maharashtra have shown that a tailor can sustainably generate employment by milk and butter, without power or loans using traditional and modern business practices together. It is a model for such programs to proliferate not only in India but around the world.

Overview A local NGO in Rajasthan, India working for the betterment of rural communities and livelihoods called “Stitching Hope” under which women were trained about tailoring was started. The program focused on women belonging to low-income households with poor educational background and minimal formal employment opportunities. Objectives of the Program Implementation – Education and Training The programme began with a vocational training course of six month in length, to teach the elements of tailoring such as fabric cutting, stitching and pattern-making. In addition to learning actual building skills, they were taught how to do business by deciding what their products should cost them in materials and labor, managing orders more effectively and marketing their services. These training centres were established in local community halls and the sessions were organized around their domestic duties, with multiple lesson times a day as well as childcare at the centre. – Seed Funding and Support These women were each presented with their own sewing machines, and some initial seed money to launch into business after a certain period of time. The women were also trusted into forming cooperatives to source and execute orders of larger quantities from nearby towns. Mentorship and Market Access We provided mentorship to be able to link the women with local markets and wholesalers. The result was the people in question could arrive supports emphasizes for uniform, marriage and day to day garments making them make money routinely. Impact The impact of the “Stitching Hope” initiative on these women, their families, and even wider circle was immense. Some key outcomes included: – Economic Empowerment Our rigorous evaluation of the program has shown that these women experienced a large increase in their economic welfare. They could earn on average rs 5000 to 10000 Monthly from Tailoring which is a good amount in rural area. This newly acquired income enabled to provide for the family, school their children and save for future, – An Improved Sense of Confidence and Independence Many women took pride in their work and gained self esteem through the autonomy they received from working. They started earning their own money, and this boosted their self-confidence because they got a voice in the family when it came to various issues. Tenors of work that could now be derived not only as an income, but a way for reaching out and exploring the self. – Strengthening Social Networks The cooperative groups formed through the initiative promoted cooperation and collaboration among the women. These networks formed a support system that left women supporting each other with orders, resources and turning points of the business. The cooperative was also able to work as a larger entity in dealings supplying large contracts for the workers which were contracted themselves. – Challenges and Solutions Problems the initiative encountered as a way of demonstrating some of its issue included: Market Saturation: With the increase in competition as more women got into the tailoring business. To solve this challenge the program broadened their training program to include niche tailoring design skills like embroidery, boutique designing and bridal wear making which made variety in products. Raw Material: In rural area sourcing the high quality fabric and material was a call ahead task In response, the NGO supported them in creating relationships with distributors of fabric from urban centers; it helped them to make bulk purchases at reduced rates. Lessons Learned – Tailoring: Your Ticket to Financial Independence Tailoring is available to women at low cost with very little barriers to entry, it works in areas where one of the biggest economic problems is that women do not have high level entrepreneurial activities. Through the ‘Stitching Hope’ programme they demonstrated that women, given the right guidance, could make a business out of tailoring. – Why You Should Count on Ongoing Support Though never to the exclusion of skill training longevity is dependent on continued mentorship, market access for purchase and (increasingly) saleability and financial support. It will equip women with the tools they need to start: a sewing machine, seed capital or access to markets that make it possible for their business to takeoff. – Putting the word out together By the sheer number of women coming together, pooling resources and knowledge to support each other, the formation on cooperative groups give them a chance to group their business which has more impact. Their mode of collaboration was a good way to reduce individual risk and increase collective rewards, and this provided a stable basis for future growth. Conclusion Increasing opportunities for women in tailoring is a great way of bringing about economic and social upliftment, especially in semiurban and rural parts of the country. Efforts like Stitching Hope are a testament to how millions of women can start stitch their lives back if provided the right access to funds, market and support systems. In addition to a means of financial independence, tailoring provides confidence, community and gender equality; truly an empowerment skill for women all over the globe.