Paper short abstract:

The Chikan hand embroidery production within the neoliberal economic system is undoing of the achievements of women empowerment organisations of 1980s. Such undoings have repercussions for the artisan community; precarious labour conditions, subsistence survival and diminishing social capital.

Paper long abstract:

This paper focuses on the gendered labour experiences of indigenous Muslim women artisans of Chikan hand embroidery in the Awadh region of northern India. Chikan embroidery form is native to this region and is believed to have originated during the rule of the Mughals. This art form today has become a multi-million dollar fashion industry recognised worldwide. However, the sole producers of the embroidery- ‘women artisans’ continue to live in precarious life and labour conditions, impinged by violence and exploitation within the family and Chikan production system. The study is based on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork, understanding various aspects of artisans and their art in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, India. In this paper, I take ‘wages’ and the ‘value of labour’ as analytical categories to show how the ruination of Chikan hand embroidery production is sustained for the artisans. At the same time, the capitalist class (big firms, fashion designers and local business people) continues to hold greater power and influence over the production system. That is to ask how incorporating traditional craft into the neoliberal mass production system ruined these artisan's sense of security and well-being. Further discussing the emergence of women empowerment organisations in the 1980s dedicated to organising artisans has achieved limited benefits. The linkage of empowerment organisations with the broader neoliberal market has become a way of undoing labour rights and work conditions, which was previously achieved. The undoing of artisan community in the current production system leads to various forms of precocity.