Stitch by stitch, she designs a secure future for women
: When Hassina entered her teenage years in the late ’80s, she was drawn towards learning Kashmiri embroidery, particularly Aari and Sozni. Three decades on, she is not only an established artisan but also a meticulous trainer, empowering thousands of women to hone their skills and earn a livelihood from the comfort of their homes.
At 42, she is the mother of a teenage daughter and believes that the best way to empower a woman is to provide her with a skill. “In difficult times, the woman of the house faces the brunt. If she is skilled and can earn, she can become the family’s backbone,” she says.
She has chosen to share her skill for the uplift of Kashmiri women, most of them downtrodden and without any formal education. “In 22 years, I’ve trained more than 10,000 women in tailoring, fashion designing besides Aari and Sozni embroideries and helped them become selfreliant,” she says proudly.
Following her heart
A resident of Munawarabad in Srinagar, Hassina opted out of formal schooling after matriculation as her heart lay in learning embroidery from artisans of the handicrafts department. Though she started out when she was in Class 8, the eldest of seven siblings says she decided to take up handicrafts as a profession after Class 10. “My parents were supportive and later my husband also encouraged me to pursue my passion,” she says.
Embarking on her journey in 1989, she started a cooperative society along with other members and the government provided them with subsidy of ₹10,000 to buy their own material.
“We bought shawls and started doing Aari and Sozni work on them. A government federation bought our products and things took off,” she says. When her work helped her financially and got her recognition, she decided to give back to society. “The skills I learnt should help more women,” she says.
She works with the departments of handicrafts, women’s development corporation and urban development agency for providing training and supplying products. She has participated in 25 exhibitions.
Bold move that paid off
After she started her training centre in 2001, Hassina took the bold decision of training women of a leprosy colony in Srinagar. “People would be reluctant to go there but I wanted to do something for the inmates,” she recalls.
Two decades on, when the government decides to start a training programme, the authorities start with the leprosy colony. “I know many families who started educating their children after they earned a livelihood through the Kashmiri art of Aari and Sozni. Now their children have become officers, and some have shown interest in this skill,” she says.
In difficult times, the woman of the house faces the brunt. If she is skilled and can earn, she can become the family’s backbone.
Catch them young
At present, she works with 300 women on embroidering pherans (outer loose gowns), suits, shawls, cushion covers, bed covers and file folders in jute. “I have helped women to start their own self-help groups that are working independently for livelihood in many parts of the Old City and also in south Kashmir,” she says.
She wants the government to start skill development courses in schools. “Kashmir art skills should be introduced in schools and colleges so that students get a vocational edge,” she adds.