Sambalpuri Handloom Weavers’ Livelihood: An Analysis of Western Odisha Clusters, India

Das, Tushar Kanti

doi:10.1177/25166026211038348

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 15 publications

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“…Despite the lucrative returns in the industry, handloom as a means of livelihood has increasingly become unfeasible for a weaver's economic sustainability. The low return from handloom as a livelihood has induced male artisans to exit the sector in search of sustainable avenues of income (Mamidipudi and Bijker, 2018; Rai, 2022; Das, 2021). This trend of mobility (i.e.…”

Section: Research Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women's entrepreneurial resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic inside handloom family enterprises: a case study of West Bengal, India

Basu

2023

IJGE

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PurposeIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic's economic effects, this paper focuses on how home-based women artisans running their family businesses plan their operations to function in the “new normal” environment. The paper emphasises the adaptability and reorientation of business strategies displayed by women entrepreneurs in response to the changing work environment. The paper argues that the women's sense of agency after years of running the family business enables them to bargain and offer passive resistance to the family's power, with the latter aiming to curtail their entrepreneurial gains as the men return to their homes after losing their jobs with the onset of the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws from a qualitative study that was conducted employing field surveys and in-depth interviews with the women entrepreneurs in four important handloom clusters in Nadia, West Bengal (India) in 2022. The empirical evidence is gathered from five months of extensive ethnographic study with 66 home-based women entrepreneurs belonging to 26 handloom family enterprises. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews and the following narrative analysis have been used to comprehend the complex and dynamic conception of female entrepreneurship and women's agency to pivot business strategies during the economic turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsAs a result of the abrupt suspension of the textile industry and the partial or total closure of the traditional and contemporary markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic, women from family handloom enterprises are taking steps to strengthen their entrepreneurial resistance. Although women entrepreneurs had spent years running the family business in the absence of their husbands, the pandemic exacerbated the deep-seated gender disparities within the family when social norms threatened to undo the hard-won progress made by them. However, their sense of agency enables them to plan well and resist the patriarchal onslaught with a variety of potentials, utilising tools of active and/or passive resistance within an environment of concrete limits and oppressions.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature on women's entrepreneurial capacity by focusing on how the COVID-19 crisis and changing market demands enable gendered reactions in family enterprises. While men, back home after losing their jobs, choose to strengthen their individual identities and power positions by trying to retain control over the family business, women contribute to collective actions for enhancing the resilience of the community by pivoting their business strategies and implementing new ideas to suit new market conditions. Women thus play a central role in fostering social cohesion, helping build and maintain relationships, promoting empathy, and creating a sense of belonging, which strengthen community bonds and cooperation. The paper shows how women's entrepreneurial resilience and responsibility provide an important basis for organizing sustainable collective action for the survival of the artisanal community during crisis situations.

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Section: Research Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women's entrepreneurial resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic inside handloom family enterprises: a case study of West Bengal, India

Basu

2023

IJGE

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Women as carriers of the ‘weaving legacy’: Shifting labour and changing gender relations in marriage

Basu

2024

International Journal of Educational Research Open

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Facility network design by using k-mean and elbow method: a case of Indian handloom industry

Naik,

Bhardwaj

2024

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Purpose This study aims to design a facility network for the weavers to do direct business in the Indian handloom industry by using tourists as potential customers. Design/methodology/approach Data from 4,001 weavers of the handloom industry and 82 tourist locations of Varanasi city were collected. This data was analysed using the k-mean and elbow methods to determine the locations and the optimal number of collection centres, selling stores and warehouses to provide opportunities for the weavers to do direct business. Findings The study's findings showed that a greater opportunity could be provided with four optimal collection centres and selling stores, along with two warehouses in the handloom industry of Varanasi city. These results provide valuable guidance for policymakers to plan the Varanasi handloom network of facilities efficiently and effectively to improve the conditions of weavers. Originality/value Determining the optimal locations is crucial for designing a facility network. The proposed network will aid the government and policymakers in comprehending and pinpointing potential sites to establish new facilities in the handloom industry in Varanasi, a city with tourism potential.

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Sambalpuri Handloom Weavers’ Livelihood: An Analysis of Western Odisha Clusters, India

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Women's entrepreneurial resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic inside handloom family enterprises: a case study of West Bengal, India

Women's entrepreneurial resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic inside handloom family enterprises: a case study of West Bengal, India

Women as carriers of the ‘weaving legacy’: Shifting labour and changing gender relations in marriage

Facility network design by using k-mean and elbow method: a case of Indian handloom industry

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