About 45,000 rural women have achieved self-reliance in the northern districts through mini garments, embroidering, spangling saree and ornamental stitching on female clothes in recent years.The prospective ventures have been expanding fast attracting more unemployed, poor and distressed rural women in earning through working at home or smaller enterprises locally to attain self-reliance for better life.As result of growing success, the mini garments, embroidery and needlework have been getting a shape of growing cottage industry attracting local entrepreneurs to change the rural macro-economy in the northern districts.Many of the rural women, who initiated the venture few years back, have launched smaller enterprises now after getting necessary training and assistance from different government and non-government organisations and local traders.According to the sources in different NGOs, 45,000 unemployed rural housewives, divorcees, young girls, adolescents, students and widows of some 10,000 households are now engaged with the profession to achieve self-reliance.With the assistance of RDRS Bangladesh, 2,400 unemployed and distressed women, victims of repression and violence, divorcees, widows and physically challenged women have so far achieved self-reliance through mini garments and needlework at homes.Entrepreneur of spangling industry Chand Mia said he has expanded the venture generating employment for 400 poor families in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur through creating expert embroidery and ornamental stitching artisans.He supplies simple saree, various spangles, anti- pipe, dhania puthi, tire puthi, pet-pipe, phooljori, laljori, sadajori, dhole spangle, stitching inputs, yarns and threads to women to make those more attractive through ornamental stitching, embroidery etc”After finishing needlework, each of the saree is being sold in Dhaka markets at Taka 8,000 to Taka 25,000 while the saree made by more skillful hand is sold at higher price of up to Taka 40,000 in the aristocrat markets in the capital,” he said.Similarly, over 900 women of all ages have changed their fortune through embroidery, ‘jari’, ‘puthi’ and spangling works on saree, three-pieces, scarf and other female clothes in seven villages under Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon in recent years.Widow Sufi Begum, students Chompa Begum and Sadeka of Shibganj village there narrated as how they won poverty through earning conducting needlework on saree and other female clothes at leisure periods.Local entrepreneur Mamuni Begum said she supplies inputs to 480 women of all ages of these villages and they earn excellent wages every week through ornamental stitching, embroidery and spangling on saree those are being at Dhaka.
