413.5
Science, Technology and (New) Forms of Social Inequalities – Sociological Study of Household Footwear Cluster in India
Abstract Dr. Giriyappa Kollannavar, N S Vasagam, Jagathnath Krishna and A B Mondal
CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai – 600 020.
Key words: Leather industry, household footwear sector, women workers, institutional support, division of labour
Indian leather industry has grown in household sector and part of it is in the process of mechanization today. Footwear is major product produced both in household and factory sectors to meet the export and domestic demand. The Indian leather industry is supporting livelihood to millions of artisans who follows the division of labour system of footwear production activity at the household level. Men and women have specialization in each operation in the footwear production activity. The household sector contributes almost 70 percent of the total footwear needs of the country. The post liberalization era brought huge quantity of cheap and non leather footwear to Indian market that affected mostly the household sector. Outdated technology and low scale of production system and primitive designs of the footwear are the major reasons for the household footwear sector that unable to hold their market share. Faced with the emerging competition and challenges, many of the household units closed down their production system. A few units particularly in clusters are surviving with limited market support of traditional buyers. Women play major role in sustaining the footwear activity in these clusters. The institutional intervention focusing on women workers has empowered them with new production skills and technical training. Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) has taken up the task of footwear cluster development programme with women specific empowering goal has made significant impact on women artisans in household footwear sector. The study has brought out interesting facts and findings on the women empowerment with decision making through institutional support.