Rural women artisans bring Sindh's crafts to Karachi

Handcrafted textiles, traditional clothing, jewellery and baskets made by rural women from across Sindh are drawing visitors at a three-day crafts exhibition in Karachi.

The 18th Sartyoon Sang Crafts Exhibition, being held at Ocean Mall in Clifton, brings together thousands of products made by women artisans from different districts of the province.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Sindh government spokesperson and MPA Sadia Javed, who highlighted the importance of creating better opportunities for women artisans to sell their work.

"Our traditional crafts are not only a reflection of Sindh's cultural heritage, but can also become an important source of income for rural women," she said.

Women from 15 districts, including Badin, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Khairpur, Larkana, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Nowshehro Feroze, Qambar Shahdadkot, Sanghar, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Thatta and Umerkot, are participating in the exhibition.

More than 5,000 products are on display, ranging from traditional textiles and embroidered clothing to handmade baskets, jewellery and other crafts reflecting Sindh's diverse cultural traditions.

Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro, CEO of the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), said the organisation was focusing on helping women turn their traditional skills into sustainable sources of income.

"The aim is not only to train rural women but also to create better income opportunities for their work," he said.

Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme Senator Rubina Khalid, Raheema Panhwar, Aijaz Qureshi and other guests also attended the opening ceremony.

The exhibition will remain open at Ocean Mall until late Sunday, 6 September.