Mother India

It's hard being a woman in India. I'm learning this more and more every day, as I work with our artisan women and listen to their stories. Stories that are mind-blowing and heart-wrenching, with an undercurrent of sadness but also mixed with a dash of humor. Our sewing circles often turn into real discussions on life, family, and all the challenges we share as humans.

Except I feel that Indian women have quite a few more challenges in life than me...let's be honest here. Most of our Dekko artisans can't read or write. Some of them never darkened the door of a classroom once. Not once. In a male-dominated society, it's a constant struggle to help people understand the value in educating their daughters. That girls can contribute more to this world than just washed clothes and perfectly round chapatis.

Another challenge Indian girls face happens before they are even born. It is illegal to tell expecting parents the gender of their baby, but it still happens rampantly. The girl child suffers as a result. Another tiny flame snuffed out. Skewed sex ratios reveal this shameful fact. Many poor families feel they can't afford to have daughters, because it takes a huge amount of money to get them married. Would changing this dowry system in India save the lives of countless girl babies? Who can make that decision?

One of our Dekko families has eight children, two sons and six daughters. I hear their family stories, and my mind is blown. Regularly. I see tremendous courage in this family. They work crazy hard every day managing a crew of artisan ladies for Dekko, because it is making a difference in their life. Especially for their daughters. A beautiful victory - this past year they started sending a teenage daughter to school. This girl hadn't been to school in four years and was in a bit over her head. But with encouragement and hard work, she finished the year and even passed her end-year exams. With flying colors! I put this squarely in the win category :)

The list of challenges for Indian women goes on and on. But I prefer to focus on the beautiful victories. On the hope and dignity restored that empowerment can bring. Dekko is a game changer for many artisan families already. Is it too big for us to envision not only families but also communities being transformed? Is it too naive to dream of helping Mother India take better care of her children? My DH says quite often - if you shoot for nothing, you'll hit it every time. I want to shoot for something that makes a difference. How about you?