Skills Enhancement of  Rural Women in Kashmir for Economic Empowerment

The Pehran Project to fund skills training for rural women in Kashmir is a collaboration between Rockflower and Community Services Program - Pakistan (CSP).

The CSP believes that generating and revitalizing rural economies through community participation is the key to development at the grass-root level. The CSP's Pehran Project is a direct result of this belief. The project is a grassroots, pilot program, operating in the Gurase Valley of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K), and designed to enhance the ability of the rural women of living in the to produce higher quality handmade Kashmiri cultural arts and crafts and market them more effectively.

The women of the Gurase Valley actively participate in the production of Kashmiri arts and crafts, such as the Pehran (Kashmiri dress) and Lachka (a cap used by Kashmiri women), but face significant hurdles in maximizing a return on their efforts - for themselves as well as their families and communities.

Woman wearing Pehran and Lachka.

The Pehran Project was created to address educating local, rural women good business practices by establishing a rural training center. The main focus of the center will be to organize training courses to instruct local women in:

• Setting up and running a successful business
• Establishing direct access to markets outside their local area
• Improving the quality of products to meet the needs of new buyers
• Matching production to regional and international demand
• Provide mentorship to other women seeking economic empowerment

Local product display centers will also be set up where there is a prevalence of tourists and an opportunity for direct sales. Finally, an exhibition will be organized where invited guests from across the country will participate in showcase of local production reviewing the success of the project.

About Community Services Program - Pakistan

CSP is a multi-disciplinary non-governmental organization established in October 2007. The organization works with civil societies, CBOs, CBWDF's and institutions in response to their socio-economic needs, connecting them to national and international institutions. 

Generating and revitalizing the rural economy through community participation is the key to development at the grass-root level.  While a host of appropriate technologies exist in and outside the country, there is little opportunity for their transfer to the end user, especially rural women. Community Services Program (CSP) provides expertise to the urban and rural population with special focus on rural women.