A show of womens empowerment

CHENNAI: It is an exhibition by women who have faced hardship and have fought to come up in life. For visitors it is a one-stop shop for the various products and eatables popular in each district of our state.Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women Ltd has organised a month-long women’s mela, Chitirai Kondattum  2012, that showcases a variety of handmade products specific to different districts. The mela has already sold products worth a whopping Rs 22 lakh. This summer special exhibition by women’s self help groups, transgender groups, disabled groups and Sri Lankan refugees is on from 10.30 am to 8.30 pm till May 20 at the Annai Teresa Mahalir Valagam near Valluvarkottam, Nungambakkam.The expo is divided into three phases — 10 districts have already showcased their products in the first 10 days of the expo, followed by 11 districts in the second phase while the last phase will see another 11 districts dispalying their wares.The main purpose of the exhibition is empowerment of women. Needy women are encouraged to form groups and are offered skills training and helped to get bank loans to become successful entrepreneurs. The expo is held twice a year – during the festival season in September and during the holiday season. “This expo was supposed to have been held in September last year, but since that was a few months after the election we postponed it,” said an official.What’s in store?Women from Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin are offering baskets, hats and even bangles made from palm leaves, made right in front of you, while women from Dharmapuri have neatly packed tamarind on offer. There are organic eatables like ragi powder, hand-pounded rice and a nutrition mix made with nine types of grain from the women of Ariyalur. They also have handicrafts made from waste.Women from Erode are selling sickles, kitchenware and handwoven doormats while the Badagas from Nilgiris have tiny clay products and fancy handmade jewellery. Starting a self-help group with an investment of just Rs 50 10 years ago, women from Ooty have developed a large variety of essential oils and tea – all self-made right from plucking the leaves to the end product – bringing in a yearly revenue of at least Rs 20,000. “I used to earn Rs 25 a day doing gardening. After we started the SHG, we got a government loan of Rs 2.5 lakh to buy a boiler. Now we earn Rs 20,000 a year,” said Sakuntala. There are leather products from Vellore, mangoes from Dharmapuri, handicrafts and decorative products made of wood from Villupuram, paintings and dolls from Tanjore, traditional food and games, apart from handwoven sarees. All products are available at a nominal price as they are showcased directly by the makers.There’s more. Cultural events will be organised for visitors during the weekends. “For the first time, MBA students from two city-based colleges are investing their skills in packing, pricing and marketing – helping the women here to put forth their best. Apart from that we take regular classes for the women on customer approach and help them correct mistakes that are observed by the floor managers,” added an official.