Ruma Devi: Empowering Women & Taking Traditional Rajasthani Handicrafts To The World

Several socioeconomic factors prevent women from earning a livelihood and being financially independent. Ruma Devi from Rajasthan is a prime example of a woman taking initiative to achieve financial stability despite the odds.

Women make up 20% of India's MSME entrepreneurs, and most of this share comes from rural India. However, only 5.2% of women receive the total available funding. Other factors such as domestic responsibilities, bias, and lack of role models pose critical challenges for women entrepreneurs. Ruma Devi, who hails from Rajasthan and has overcome these hurdles herself and has helped several women conquer their socioeconomic hardships, seeking financial independence.

Ruma Devi got married at 17 and lost her child soon after birth, unable to afford adequate medical support. That's when she realised the importance of becoming monetarily self-sufficient. Ruma Devi, a class 8 dropout, turned to the only skill she knew, sewing. She started a self-help group of 10 women who pooled money to purchase a sewing machine to stitch bags. The group approached Gramin Vikas Chetna Sansthan (GVCS) for support. With their help, her group participated in an exhibition in Delhi, eventually headlining a fashion show at Rajasthan Heritage Week with a collection entirely designed and styled by her group. She has also participated in exhibitions hosted by several international nations.

She is currently the president of GVCS and a hand of support and guidance to over 30,000 women. The group designs apparel, home furnishings, and other handicrafts. The NGO links the artisanal community directly to the market with the help of the Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts (EPCH).

What keeps Ruma Devi motivated is the time she spent interacting with women like her across Rajasthan who had no financial autonomy. She is a recipient of Nari Shakti Puraskar, awarded by the President of India and has also been a panelist at Harvard University's 17th Annual India Conference.

Let us join in recognising this master artisan and renowned social activist and designer for reviving traditional craft and making it a viable source of livelihood for thousands of women. Watch her story unfold on Network18 presents Badlaav Humse Hai powered by AU Small Finance Bank: https://bit.ly/3TZeAqR

Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article.