Need-based training on handicrafts can be the vital means of making the grassroots women income-generators besides self-reliant, reports BSS.

There should be measures of bringing the underprivileged and disadvantaged women under handicrafts training and incentives for their post-training job.

The observation came in opening session of a week-long non-institutional training on handicrafts in Rajshahi city recently.

Smrity Mohila Kolyan Sangstha (SMKS), a non-government development organization, hosted the training.

Department of Youth Development (DYD) supported the event.

With SMKS President Advocate Shamsunnahar Mukti in the chair, Youth Development Officers Jahurul Islam and Mukhlesur Rahman, Programme Officer of Department of Women Affairs Shalma Khatun and Trainer Mahfuza Khatun spoke on the occasion. Main thrust of the training is to make grassroots women income-generators and self-reliant besides expansion and popularization of the handicrafts goods.

The speakers said handicrafts signify the true craftsmanship of the Bangladeshi artisans. Various artisan communities are scattered throughout the country; communities consisting of people who solely depend on their crafts as a primary source of income.

They underscored the need for more hosting of such type of fair to protect the handicrafts goods from further diminishing.

More expansion of investment to the sector is needed for bolstering economic condition of both urban and rural areas together with freeing the society from the vicious circle of poverty. As the handicrafts sector is labour-intensive so its successful promotion could be the effective means of alleviating poverty, generating employment and thereby accelerating economic growth.

Explaining various aspects of handicrafts towards the region’s economic development Advocate Shamsunnahar Mukti said the government should undertake need-based initiatives including time-fitting training and information technology for handicrafts development. She told the meeting that the training has been organized in order to increase the visibility of handicrafts and preserve and encourage the practice of local artisans.