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Culture August 16, 2018
Here's how beading is changing lives.
Teach a woman to sew, and she can provide for her family. Showcase her art, and she can change her life.
“Connecting Thread: Unleashing India” is an eye-opening short that follows female artisans in India. It tells the story of Gudia Khan, a beadwork artist who remains the sole financial support of her family. Behind the camera is UNLEASHED, an organization that aims to showcase female creators and their work on a global level.
For many cultures, marriage is a primary way for a woman to ensure financial security and to keep up with societal norms. Khan’s status as an unmarried woman makes daily life a struggle. To travel, her mother must travel with her. Her job prospects can get difficult. Khan asserts, “People criticize the unmarried girl for going out and getting work.”
Poverty has inflicted tragedy on Khan’s family. Her father died because her family did not have the funds to get him medicine. Her brother also died for the same reason.
With her mother’s health in jeopardy, Khan uses beading and her artwork to keep poverty from killing another family member. “If it’s a rush order, I will work through the night. Otherwise, I work until one or two am. I work for as long as we have electricity,” she explains. A few hours later, she will awaken for morning prayer.
Education is also an issue in India. The 2009 Right to Education Act guarantees free public education to children under 14, but this initiative is seriously lacking. In the 2009 PISA survey, India ranked second-to-last in their children’s science, math and reading abilities. Since the act was put into effect, enrollment in public schools has drastically fallen, and private school enrollment has risen.
So Indian families must pay a price in order for their children to get a proper education. Along with a multitude of other struggles, those in poverty also suffer a lack of academic privilege.
After Khan’s introduction, UNLEASHED goes on to interview other female artisans. Nazama Begam also works in beading to support her family. Her daughters’ education is a necessity. “After they finish their studies, I want them to get jobs,” she says. “They’re not ready for marriage. I want them to study first.”
Mothers like Begam see education as a way for their daughters to secure their futures without relying on marriage. Her daughter plans on being a doctor or lawyer to relieve her mother from her work. Until then, though, Begam will continue to embroider and hope for her daughters’ futures.
Khan’s awareness of her opportunity is evident. At Amazon India Fashion Week, surrounded by flash and glamour, Khan meets Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhri. She says to Khan, “You and I are very similar, because I take care of my mother and my sister, and I am the breadwinner in my family.”
Khan does not falter when facing the actress. “There is a difference between us. We are poor and lowly. We work very hard to make ends meet,” Khan responds. “You work in movies and your life is different. Perhaps I will also be successful and have something of my own. That’s why I am here.”
Khan’s reaction addresses a very common misconception. Those in poverty aren’t actively looking for sympathy, charity or pity. Women like Khan have everyone depending on them and no one to depend on. They don’t want a fancy hotel room for a few nights or the excitement of a camera crew following them around. They simply want the opportunity to make their own future.
This is the ultimate goal of UNLEASHED: to provide female artisans and entrepreneurs the opportunities they need to support their families. By using quality storytelling, the foundation has given these women global exposure and unleashed their incredible potential.
