Handloom weaving: An entrepreneurial tool for SHG women

Pages: 67-71
Rajesh Dahiya and Saroj Yadav (Department of Textile & Apparel Designing, I.C. College of Home Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

The Handloom sector is the second largest employer in India providing employment in tune of 65 lakh persons. The
sector represents the continuity of the old age Indian heritage of hand weaving and reflects the socio-cultural
tradition of the living communities. There are number of government scheme that provide assistance for this sector in new five-year plans. Self-help groups of women in India have been recognised as an effective strategy for capacity building of rural as well as urban women. Training is a major catalytic Force for argument in human
productivity in all states of development. Proper training in Handloom weaving and value addition is needed to take up as an entrepreneurial activity for SHG’s. Present study was conducted in Dhangar and Bhingar villages in
Fatehabad district of Haryana state. Intervention on handloom weaving was given to twenty-fiveSHG women of
each village for 45 days by Weaver Service Centre, Panipat. Five products namely durrie, khes, towel, bed sheet and foot mat were prepared duringthe training period. All respondents (100%) had low knowledge regarding towel
weaving followed by bed sheet weaving (92.00%) and durrie weaving (40.00%). For reinforcement and practice
adda and raw materials were provided to each centre. Technical know-how was also provided through literature.
After completion of intervention, majority of the respondents (52.0%), and 44.0 percent succeeded in gaining high level knowledge in durrie, khes and foot mat weaving. Skill acquisition was found in high category regarding durrie weaving (84%) and stool mat weaving (72.0%). Training impact in terms of knowledge gain, attitudinal change and skill acquisition was found 49.77 percent regarding handloom weaving. Adoption feasibility index was found 82.28 percent on five attributes. Major constraints in adoption of handloom weaving as an entrepreneurial venture perceived by SHGs during training were ‘non-co-operation” of SHG members (88.0%) in using resources, “less time allotment” for work on adda (80.0%) and“within group conflicts” reported by 72.0 percent. Self-help group effectiveness index was found 54.45 percent on different traits of SHGs, which speaks of a moderate level functioning.