Identifying Invisibiliztion of Women Workers in the Handloom and Power Loom Industry

The objective of the proposed research paper is to investigate the invisibilization of women labourers in the handloom and power loom industries, where their substantial contributions are frequently overlooked and undervalued. In the family-based production process, women are essential to the process, performing duties such as weaving, feeding spools, cutting threads, and adding decorations. Nevertheless, their labour is frequently regarded as merely assisting male family members, a category that undermines the significance of their work and reinforces the notion that their contributions are secondary. This marginalisation is further exacerbated by socio-cultural norms that limit the employment opportunities available to women, limiting them to low-paying or unpaid home-based work. Consequently, their economic roles are obscured, and their labour is exploited in both informal industries and the household.

The objective of the paper is to examine the character and extent of women's involvement in the small-scale handloom and power loom industries with a particular emphasis on the invisibilization of these contributions by socio-cultural norms and gendered labour division. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, involving the accumulation of quantitative data on work hours, production activities, and income, as well as qualitative interviews with women workers. Case studies from handloom and power loom clusters will provide localized insights into the lived experiences of these women workers. The research also examines the dual burden women bore, balancing unpaid domestic responsibilities along with economic production activities, and how this impacts their recognition in economic assessments.

The study ultimately promotes the formal recognition of women's work in family-based industries, emphasising the necessity of inclusive policies and labour classifications that accurately reflect their contributions. By addressing the systemic invisibilization of women’s labour, this research will provide critical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to support gender equity in these informal sectors.