How these Tripura women are empowered with bamboo based handicraft

Tripura is well known for being one of the major producers of bamboo in India. In an attempt to make the state an economy that is rich with bamboo-based products, rural Tripura women are being trained on making bamboo based handicrafts.

In the Khashchowmhuni village of Sepahijala district, a lot of women are being trained on capacity building and skill development. Jayanti Das, one of the participants, told The Financial Express,

We have lots of bamboo in and around our house, which we did not know how to use, except for some fencing work. Then we got some training from the Tripura Bamboo Mission and started making handicraft items at our houses and also started selling them. This has benefited us a lot. Without any problem, we have been working for last seven years, looking after our families and educating our children. We hope to continue this in future.

Along with this, there are other attempts made by the Tripura Bamboo Mission all over the state to make micro, small, and medium industries based on bamboo sustainable. New handicraft design making is also taught to these women, the majority of whom are housewives. Rs 441.25 lakh for handicraft sector has been sanctioned by the North East Council, 10 percent of which will be contributed by the Tripura state. According to ANI, Collector Mithun Debnath said,

I am engaged with this business; I collect these items and supply them at Charilam and places like Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai and other states. I collect them from artisans in the rural areas. I make good profit and my family runs on this business.

Though the debate over training women for skills, which are stereotyped on the basis of gender, is long standing, one has to appreciate the fact that these women are getting financially empowered.

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