Volume : 7, Issue : 12, December - 2018

Cooperatives and the SDGs: Focus on Gender Equity and Women's Empowerment on Handicraft Industry

Dr. S. V. Akilandeeswari, Dr. C. Pitchai

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;&#10;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calii;&#10;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:&#10;EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">In today&rsquo;s </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;&#10;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&#10;Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:&#10;EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">economic condition, earning of a common man is not sufficient for the livelihood of the family. He has to be supported by the family members especially women in the family and decisions to be taken with their consent. Now, their income has now significantly increased. According to some of the women artisans, they are now able to sustain the family economically without the support their male counterpart.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;&#10;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:&#10;EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> But, women artisans need support from the government for their development like focus around livelihoods, social development and good environment so that they can </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;&#10;mso-fareast-font-family:Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:&#10;EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">access to essential goods and services, meeting basic needs, higher productivity, sustainable earnings and greater empowerment. Empowerment is fulfilled when they have knowledge on account of health, education and affordable access to other public services such as justice, housing, civil rights, security, information and communications. Hope these women artisans will attain that very soon.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Tohima&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;&#10;mso-fareast-font-family:Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&#10;&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;&#10;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:&#10;115%;font-family:&quot;Tohima&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:&#10;minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;&#10;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Women work round the clock, in the process of crafting the articles then the male artisans but it is not considered or recognized. </span><span style="font-size:&#10;12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Tohima&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&#10;Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;&#10;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">As these women artisans do not have a proper organised set up, schemes have not reached them. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#10;&quot;Tohima&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calii;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;&#10;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;&#10;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">To address these and other related issues, the study is proposed with success case of women cooperatives and how it can be implemented with women handicraft artisans</span></p>