Gender and trade - empowerment through textiles in rural Pakistan
Since 2005 Mo has been working in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat (Social Transformations Programme, Gender Section) and Rural Support Programmes Network in Pakistan on the initiation and developmetn of a programme to develop market access for social development of women textile producers in rural Pakistan, within the structure of the RSPN.
Following an initial scoping, in spring 2007 the RSPN set up an Enterprise Facilitation Unit (EFU) with design and product development support from CSM textile and fashion design student interns. Design and market training in the field preceded a series of masterclasses held in Karachi and Hunza, in which visiting European designers were invited to work directly with women textile producer. The resulting products will be shown at an exhibition in London. Alongside continued product development,costings, quaility & logistical training, a series of co-operative values training events in the field, have been supported by the CoOp College in Manchester.
