Women artisans keeping alive identity of dying crafts

The National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage gives due representation to women artisans of the country

ISLAMABAD: Women artisans are playing an important role in maintaining the identity of cultural heritage of Pakistan and keeping alive dying crafts for future generations.

National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) was giving due representation to women artisans from different parts of the country including remote areas by giving them an opportunity to display their work and earn a respectable living, said Lok Virsa Executive Director Shahira Shahid at International Women’s Day Artisans-at-Work exhibition on Friday.

"There is a need to recognise the services of our iconic figures and the young generation can celebrate them by creating awareness about their work. Today, some crafts have been discontinued as they were not transferred to the younger generation. There is a need to establish craft institutions to give recognition to artisans who specialise in those crafts and use it to earn their livelihood," she said.

This year's theme for International Women's Day was ‘Balance for Better’ which is a call-to-action for creating gender balance across the world. Women have the same rights to enjoy and participate in performing arts and activities involving creativity as a means of expression as anyone else in a society.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2019.