Product Design Training for Women Artisans organised in J&K

Yakjah Reconciliation and Development Network, a non-profit social innovation working for youth peacebuilding leadership and women’s empowerment organized a ‘Product Design Training’ workshop for women artisans of Jammu and Kashmir. The training held from December 12-22, 2022 in Srinagar and Jammu is part of a five year research project on ‘Culture and Conflict’ in partnership with London School Of Economics’s Gender Justice and Security Hub funded by the United Kingdom Research Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) for achieving Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. This project aims to understand these cultures to explore their potential as the starting point for discussions about livelihood and peace. The training brought together 12 Kashmiri women, six Kashmiri Pandit women artisans from Jagti refugee camp, and six from Srinagar doing Sozni embroidery. In Jammu 11 Basohli artisans from Basohli, Kathua and Jammu city participated in the workshop. The aim of the workshop was to allow women to explore and understand color combinations, designs, patterns and texture. The artisans also experimented with different fabrics and mediums. The idea is to support, promote and empower them to reach out to different markets to sell their innovative products which will be exhibited next year in India and the UK. The project will look into developing women’s sustainable livelihood and impacting policy. As such Yakjah envisages collaboration with multiple stakeholders to enhance women artisans’ productivity and livelihood.
Journalist (2022) Product Design Training for Women Artisans organised in J&K, The Real Kashmir News