01 June 2009
Lucknow ‘chikankari’ is a traditional embroidery craft which transforms the plainest cotton into exquisitely decorated cloth. Skills are passed down from generation to generation in the artisan families of the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, India.
The craft provides employment to about 250,000 artisans, 95% of whom are women in rural areas. It's also a source of livelihood for about one million non-artisans. Direct export of chikan brings in an estimated $12.5 million per year to the state.
“I want my daughter to inherit the wonderful art of Chikan, which is a part of our family tradition for many generations. It has given us respect, dignity along with a sustainable means of livelihood”, says Rashidabi, a female artisan.
However, producers in other countries who unfairly copy the chikankari designs were threatening Rashidabi’s meager average monthly income of Rs 1500 ($30).
DFID's support through the UN to India's government between 2003 and 2009 has helped protect the livelihoods of these artisans.
Protecting the uniqueness of traditional products
India's rich heritage in the production of traditional products enables the producers to charge a premium for goods originating from the local area.
Examples include saris and brocades from Banaras and Lucknow Chikankari. But for thousands of households engaged in the manufacture of textiles or handicrafts which require expertise or resources only available locally, it’s difficult to be able to charge that premium.
That's partly because similar products are sold from other regions or countries which unfairly capitalise on the reputation of these unique products.
Which means proving the geographical uniqueness of the genuine article is a tough challenge for the artisans.
Protecting local traditions: Geographical Indication Registration
DFID support is helping artisans to prove their product is the real thing through Geographical Indication (GI) registration and creating awareness about the benefits of GI among artisan communities. Lucknow chikan is one of the products covered by the scheme.
GI is an Intellectual Property Right (IPR) which identifies a product as originating from a certain region where it has a given quality or characteristic which is intrinsic to the product’s geographical origin.
Most of the producers and artisans of goods suitable for GI registration in India are from rural areas. They have limited education and are among the poorest and most vulnerable groups in India. Female artisans like Rashidabi often don't know how to document the geographical origin of their product - which is the basic requirement for obtaining GI registration.
As a result of the DFID-funded project, Lucknow Chikan craft artisans have obtained the GI registration. This has made it illegal for any other state or country to sell embroidery as chikan, helping to prevent fake versions from flooding the market.
Artisans like Rashidabi have begun to enhance their incomes through increased sales at a premium price for their unique products. Rashidabi says, “I am now able to save some money for my daughter’s wedding.” Rashidabi is better placed to negotiate a decent wage from the master craftsperson. She also thinks that by learning the chikan craft, her daughter’s matrimonial prospects will improve. Rashidabi’s daughter can look forward to Lucknow Chikancraft providing her with a dignified livelihood and a more suitable match.
Key facts
- DFID’s project, ‘Strategies and preparedness for Trade and Globalisation in India’ provides £5.88m to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to support India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) in promoting pro-poor approaches to globalisation and trade policy formulation. The project runs for six years (April 2003-December 2009).
- The project has facilitated GI registration for 21 different products. As a result, three products - Orissa Appliqué craft, Uppada Jamdani Sarees and Lucknow Chikankari craft – have been successfully registered. In addition, as of December 2008 producer and artisan groups had filed applications for 9 other products.
- DFID’s largest country programme and its largest country office are in India.