Phulkari: The Key for Women Empowerment

'Phulkari' is the craft of the land of five rivers, which shows the creativity of artisans and craftsmen in making use of vibrant and colorful designs. Phulkari embroidery is one of the most fascinating expressions of the Punjabi folk art. Phulkari has been propelled to limelight in recent years due to globalization and rising demand from the Punjabi diaspora. The womenfolk are mostly involved in the embroidery. As such, Phulkari embroidery has been the source of livelihood of women. With economic independence, women become empowered by increasing their role in political, social, educational, gender and economic spheres. However, due to the high popularity of the traditional handmade Phulkari there was a huge influx of demand, and therefore, merchants deemed it necessary to produce machine made Phulkaris to meet this rising demand. This has adversely affected the financial independence of Phulkari artisans. As machine made Phulkari continues to flood the market, overshadowing handmade handicrafts; there is a dire need to study and address the issues and challenges faced by traditional handmade Phulkari embroidery sector so as to revive and sustain this traditional folk handicraft.