EMPOWERING STITCHES: HOW ANITA DONGRE IS TRANSFORMING RURAL INDIA THROUGH FASHION
By: Prachi Khatri
In the scorching heat and sun-drenched villages of Maharashtra, an Indian fashion designer is building hope for rural women through their philanthropy initiative. Anita Dongre, an Indian fashion designer, is bringing quite a revolution for underprivileged women in India far from the runway of bustling Monday city. Dongre is a popular Indian designer famous for modern silhouettes and shimmering bridal lehengas, a traditional Indian outfit, specifically a long, elaborately embroidered skirt (lehenga), paired with a fitted blouse (choli), and a dupatta (scarf), often worn by brides during wedding ceremonies.
Anita Dongre is known globally for her House of Anita Dongre (HODA) brand, which includes labels such as AND, Global Desi, etc. Her Indian-inspired modern designs are known worldwide. HOAD is known for its commitment to ethical and sustainable pieces and women's empowerment in rural villages of India.
Source: Official website of Anita Dongre
Transforming the lives of women in rural villages of India has been quite a revolution taking shape stitch by stitch. “Designer” may just be a prefix for Anita Dongre as she builds an empire of carbon-neutral enterprise, empowering women to uplift rural communities. With philanthropy bricks in the wall of her design, the company makes approx. $100 million in revenue that speak for its success.
Through her not-for-profit, the Anita Dongre Foundation, the designer offers training in sewing, embroidery, tailoring, and building skills for garment construction. Women are trained in the centers right at their villages or nearby areas to allow them to balance the household responsibilities. All centers are equipped with machines for sewing, embroidery, and raw materials. Most village women are skilled in traditional hand embroidery, however their talent is undervalued and underutilized.
Anita Dongre’s initiative provides these women a skill they can use to make their own money and be more independent. Uplifting women through skilled employment in the fashion supply chain is something all brands can learn from as a deeper commitment to making the world a better place. And nothing is better than starting from your own home.
Source: Official website of Anita Dongre
Meena Patil, a 33-year-old craftswoman at the Charoti center, says, "Before this center came, I was just working at home, helping my mother-in-law, and raising my children. I now make money and I have learned how to use a sewing machine, do zardozi, and do aari work, among other things. When I see the clothes we produce sold in major stores in Mumbai and worldwide, I feel proud.”
There are many women like Menna in rural parts of India that don’t have access to formal education or jobs and lose their identity. Employment brings these women a ray of hope, the confidence of doing something on their own, and an opportunity to make their own identity instead of confining themselves to a domestic sphere.
Philanthropy is becoming more important for the fashion industry, conscious consumers want to know the brands they wear, they can be proud of. Data suggests 430 million people, or 11.9% of the global workforce are employed in the fashion industry worldwide. The majority of this workforce is concentrated in Asia, and many of them are women. The 2022 Clean Clothes Campaign assessment indicates that still many workers in the fashion industry are not paid fairly and face inadequate working conditions despite the industry’s profitability. It is the efforts of designers like Dongre’s that are not only motivating but necessary.
Source: Official website of Anita Dongre
Dongre believes that fashion can and must be the vehicle for change. She stated in a public speech that "Families and communities follow when women are empowered. Our goal was to build a model that upholds traditional skills while offering equitable and respectable employment.“
With the newfound confidence and income, many women are now investing in their kids’s education and taking on mentoring roles for new trainees. Some have opened bank accounts for the first time and taken on leadership in their communities. It is initiatives like Dongre’s that associate purpose with profit while also preserving the heritage crafts along the way.