Cottage industries empower women globally by providing them with economic opportunities and allowing them to manage both work and family responsibilities.
Collective cooperatives, like Shri Mahila Griha Udyog, illustrate the transformative power of joint entrepreneurship in improving livelihoods and community respect.
Deep dives
Cottage Industry Empowerment
Cottage industries are a vital part of the rural economy, providing employment and empowering women across the globe. In India, for instance, millions engage in small-scale food production, which serves as a crucial source of income and sustenance. These informal setups allow women like Pooja Sharma to balance household responsibilities while generating income through the sale of products such as samosas. This sector is estimated to employ around 13 million people in India alone, showcasing how local home-based businesses contribute significantly to economic stability and community wellbeing.
Challenges and Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Rural entrepreneurs face numerous challenges in sourcing ingredients and maintaining hygiene standards, as highlighted by cases from Eswatini. Bies Mizzelini, who produces cayenne sauce, talks about the difficulties in finding seasonal ingredients, which hampers her ability to meet demand. Additionally, developing proper sanitation practices is crucial for these food producers, as many operate out of their homes with limited facilities. Yet, governmental support and community initiatives are emerging to address these issues through training programs aimed at enhancing food safety and increasing production quality.
Impact of Cooperative Models
Cooperatives such as Shri Mahila Grehar Udyog illustrate the power of collective entrepreneurship in transforming lives and communities. This Indian cooperative enables women to work from home, where they play significant roles in producing poppadums, fostering economic independence. The model not only provides social respect and community engagement but also allows women to share profits equally, offering them a stake in the business's success. Additionally, social enterprises in places like Ecuador are gaining traction, where local producers benefit from legal frameworks supporting fair trade, which boosts their visibility and profitability against larger corporations.
Cottage industries, usually referring to small scale home-based production, can be found all over the world. Often they provide a vital source of additional income for women, particularly in low income and rural areas.
In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to women who are working in food cottage industries in India, Eswatini in Southern Africa, and Ecuador, to hear about the work and the difference it makes to their finances.
Devina goes to meet some of the 40,000 women working for Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, India’s multimillion-dollar co-operative, which produces 'Lijjat Papad' poppadoms, sold nationwide.
If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Devina Gupta.
Produced by Hannah Bewley.
(Image: two women rolling poppadom disks in Delhi. Credit: BBC)
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