Market access for craftswomen in Pakistan

Sixty Pakistani women producing handmade textiles will be working alongside established European designers at two masterclass programmes organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the community-based Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN) in Pakistan.

The workshops take place from 5 to 15 September 2007 in Karachi and Gilgit for craftswomen in rural areas in the north and south of Pakistan. Five interns from Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design in London, United Kingdom, will assist the European designers conducting the sessions.

The classes are part of a long-term project initiated in 2006 by the Gender Section at the Secretariat to support Pakistani craftswomen in producing, marketing, and selling their goods to buyers in Pakistan and abroad.

Crafts created by women in Pakistan have helped to fuel a thriving textiles industry but with little economic benefit to the artisans themselves.

Sarojini Thakur, Head of Gender at the Secretariat said: "These design master classes are a unique opportunity to give some of the poorest women from rural areas in Pakistan an opportunity to make a significant leap in their income and livelihoods through accessing the lucrative handicraft and garments market in Europe and beyond."

During the training, the designers will assist the artisans in creating a collection of quality samples that could be sold to international buyers. Their artwork, including cross-stitch, embroidery and beadwork will be exhibited in London in early 2008.

The workshops follow a series of in-depth training sessions, which took place in April and May 2007 and taught the women about product development, marketing and selling.

The Gender Section has selected four RSPs to work on the pilot project: The Aga Khan, Sarhad, Tardeep RSPs and the Sind Rural Development Programme. The long-term plan is to encourage the women to form business cooperatives and roll out the project to other RSPs in Pakistan.

An Enterprise Facilitation Unit has also been established to provide idea management and development support to the women.

Key Links:

• Gender Section
• Country Profile: Pakistan