Barabanki Weavers Project

Lead Partner: Monsoon Accessorize Ltd
Project Partners: Association for Stimulating Know how (ASK)
Project Location: India (Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh)

Project Description

The overall purpose of the project is to improve the livelihoods and socio-economic conditions of homeworkers engaged in weaving in the Barabanki area of Uttar Pradesh, India. Homeworkers represent a uniquely vulnerable stakeholder group within the global supply chain. They are generally not organised and have limited or no bargaining power. Conventional approaches for ensuring ethical standards, such as audits, are not workable in this context. Therefore, a more innovative and bottom-up approach is being proposed. Weavers are particularly vulnerable given their lack of alternative livelihoods.

In terms of implementation, the project will focus on three villages initially, reaching 400 primary producer units or households. It will scale up to nine villages in a later phase, post RAGS funding, reaching some 500 households.

The project focuses on the empowerment of weavers, both men and women, through the formation of Weaver Self Help Groups. Through these groups, members will have access to the following:

• Micro-credit
• Design and technology inputs
• Secondary Livelihoods Support
• Leadership training and capacity building
• Improved capacity to negotiate fair piece rates.

The members in return are expected to pledge to:

• not employ children
• provide increased access and control over resources to women
• be transparent and available for regular monitoring by the project team.

The project is expected to improve the status of women through skills training and gender sensitisation and create links with relevant service providers (e.g., micro-finance institutions, design institutes, the Government Health Department, etc.). Further, the outputs are expected to deliver positive socio-economic outcomes including higher piece rates and secondary livelihoods to reduce dependence on weaving as the sole source of income.

In addition to the above, the project is delivering education for 300 primary school children and 150 secondary school children within the weaving community. This was introduced following an assessment that identified lack of quality education as a significant barrier to eradicating child labour in the weaving community.