Needle works make 22,000 rural women self-reliant in Rangpur

Needle works like embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on female clothes have become effective ventures in bringing self-reliance to tens of hundreds of rural women in recent years.
More than 22,000 women of different ages have achieved self-reliance in Rangpur division alone in recent years through needle works as the venture expands faster attracting more and more rural women everywhere. The successful women are passing busier time before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festivity now following huge demand of their handwork that adds additional values to the products being marketed at the country’s sophisticated markets including in the capital city.
According to sources in different government and non-government organisations, many rural women have been changing fortune by earning through embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes.
Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, Monjusree Saha said many rural women have changed their fortune, won over poverty and driven away ‘monga’ to dream better future for their children and build a middle income nation.
Executive Director of Rangpur-based research organization ‘Northbengal Institute of Development Studies’ Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said some of the rural women started such initiatives at homes in scattered ways at the initial stages several years ago.
“But, these home-based embroidery works have now got the shape of a prospective growing cottage industry sector almost everywhere in rural areas of Rangpur region also to change the rural macro-economy,” he said.
Many of the successful rural women have now launched small-scale enterprises after getting training and assistances from different government and non-government organisations to expand the sector in association with local traders and entrepreneurs.
According to sources in RDRS Bangladesh, about 2,000 unemployed and distressed women, victims of domestic violence, divorcees, widows and physically challenged women have so far achieved self-reliance under assistances of the NGO alone.
Entrepreneur of spangling industry Chand Mia of village Chandkuthi Danga in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur said he has expanded the venture generating employment for many poor families through creating expert ‘Chumki’ and embroidery artisans.
He supplies simple saree, various types of ‘Chumki’, anti-pipe, dhania puthi, tire puthi, pet-pipe, phooljori, laljori, sadajori, dhole Chumki, stitching inputs, yarns and threads to the women to make those more attractive by stitching ‘Chumki’, embroidery and other ornamental needle works.
He said most of the females of all ages, including housewives, school and college going girls, have been setting up the ‘Chumki’ during their off periods in between daily normal activities to earn additional incomes sitting at their own homes.
“Each of the saree is being sold in Dhaka markets at Taka 8,000 to Taka 25,000 on an average while the saree made by more skillful hand is sold at higher prices of up to Taka 40,000 in the aristocrat capital city markets,” he added.
Local elite Foysal Hosain said women of all ages in the village have turned into skilled craftspeople to decorate saree with ‘Chumki’ and embroidery on at least one saree a week to earn up to Taka 800 to 1,000 weekly.
Successful ‘Chumki’, craftswomen Shameema, Marjina, Sohana, and Mollika said they have achieved self-reliance through these ornamental needle works like many other women, unemployed girls and adolescents of the village. Widow Sufi Begum, students Chompa Begum and Sadeka Begum of Shibganj village under Sadar upazila Thakurgaon narrated as how they won poverty by earning additional wages through handworks on saree, three pieces and other female clothes.