Behind the Veil:  Access to Markets for Homebound Women Embroiderers

A 3-year, $600,000 (USD) project completed in December 2007 integrated rural women into more profitable value chains, increased their economic participation, and enabled greater contribution to household income.  With funding from USAID, MEDA and the Entrepreneurship & Community Development Institute (ECDI) partnered to successfully train and deploy 213 mobile female sales agents, who unlike traditional middlemen, could conduct face-to-face transactions with sequestered embroiderers.  The women sales agents purchased finished fabrics from embroiderers for sale into higher value urban markets.  As part of these transactions, the sales agents embedded product information, quality control and contemporary designs into their services reaching a total of 9,425 rural embroiderers.  The project also stimulated the supply and demand of commercial design services into the value chain by connecting sales agents to skilled designers.  On average, rural embroiderers increased their income by close to 300% as a result of project participation.  In addition to these economic benefits, producers and sales agents participating in the project have also experienced advances in their social conditions, for example through greater say in household decisions.  Program benefits are expected to continue through a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing the sustainability of services provided via the project, namely a sales agent network association, buying houses, and business development services centers.