Exhibitions, Diwali melas: Strengthening women through urban livelihoods

Thirty-six-year-old Poonam, a B.com (Hons) graduate from Delhi University, is a member of the ‘Economic Development’ self-help group (SHG) in the Lakshmi Nagar area in the East Delhi drict. A mother of two, she worked for nine years as an executive in a private bank before she joined this SHG and started weaving beautiful jute bags, dolls, and other home décor made of fabric, beads, pearls, and sequins.
Exhibiting her collection of artworks and products, Poonam is a participant in the three-day Diwali Mela organised at Select City Walk, Saket, Delhi, supported DAY-NULM – Deendayal Antoyada National Urban Livelihoods Mission and implemented the SULM Delhi, State Urban Livelihoods Mission, Delhi. DAY-NULM, implemented the Minry of Housing and Urban Affairs, nurtures and supports urban SHGs and provides skills-based gainful employment opportunities to address urban poverty, mitigate the vulnerability of poor households, and empower poor urban communities through a network of robust grassroots institutions.
Bandhanwaars made of Gota patti work and jaipuri designs. (Credit: Swasti Pachauri)
The Mela saw many SHGs showcase artic talents, cultural programmes, local foods, and unique products. Ganpati bandhanwaars (door and wall hangings), hand-woven chimes, crochet lanterns, gota patti wall hangings, lamps, terracotta products, diyas, bags, Madhubani paintings, Lakshmi-Ganesh idols, greeting cards, gluten-free snacks like namkeen, gur paare, and sweets were showcased. Mehendi arts from Delhi, specialising in traditional mehendi designs, also set up their stalls. Such melas give a glimmer of hope amid economic recovery to the poor urban communities. The sight of such boerous melas and exhibitions became rare during COVID-19, marring poor-urban women’s social and economic mobility.
Ganpati wall hangings. (Credit: Swasti Pachauri)
Urban livelihoods and SHGs
The idea of urban SHGs is not new. These women’s groups have exed in the busy, cramped -lanes of cities; however, their presence in the public glare has been limited to occasional and organised melas, exhibitions, and bazaars. Many women like Poonam associated with these groups are home-based entrepreneurs looking after household chores while engaging in entrepreneurial ventures and home-based micro-enterprises involved in tailoring, sewing, handicrafts, candles, diyas, embroidery, crocheting, artificial flowers, jewellery, and other arts.

Post-COVID-19 and in the wake of the disruptions caused the lockdown, policy discourses actively explore the potential of urban livelihoods, the idea of an urban employment guarantee scheme, and other policies aimed at empowering the urban poor to alleviate challenges that characterise the unorganised sector. Several women like Poonam faced acute economic hardships during the lockdown, as their modest SHG-based ventures didn’t fetch any income. Urban poverty, unlike rural poverty, somewhat coexs with the urbanity of cities and eclipses our attention owing to the anonymity a city offers.
The concept of space and economic security
In urban areas, most poor lack secure access to alternate means of income from farm or forest livelihoods, unlike in rural areas. Thus, the economic impact of poverty is more acutely felt in the wake of the seasonality of employment as the urban poor work on small, seasonal contracts. Women like Poonambenefit from festivals and occasional events, albeit face tough competition from brands.
Poonam explains, “Such Diwali melas help us earn and save some money. Throughout the year, we keep weaving something or the other depending on local demand from within our mohalla. Most women living in cities don’t work full-time and quit their jobs to care for their families. A secure and safe permanent space where we can exhibit and sell our products will be of help.”
Candles and soaps made Uddan SHG members, New Delhi drict. (Credit: Swasti Pachauri)
Next to her stall is ‘Uddan’ SHG run thirty-eight-year-old Mosmi Devi in Inderpuri, Krishi Kunj. Uddan specialises in handmade soaps, candle making, jute bags, and embroidered lunch bags. During this Mela, Mosmi Devi earned around 1000-1500 rupees daily. She agrees with Poonam on the provision of a ‘permanent space’ in the gully or mohalla where products can be showcased and sold daily and where regular training programmes can take place.
Selling beautiful oxidised fabric jewellery made of beads, pearls, and cloth is forty-year-old Vandana from Jahangirpuri, North West Delhi, associated with ‘Vandana SHG.’ One necklace takes around an hour and a half to complete, and the price range varies from Rs 200-250. On the question of space and income, she says, “Delhi SULM paid the rent for our stalls, and so we didn’t have to incur any ‘kiraya.’ All we have to do during such events is travel to the venue.”
Fabric jewellery made Vandana SHG, Pitampura. (Credit: Swasti Pachauri)
Government support
Such governmental support for the urban poor is essential for poverty alleviation and achieving targets under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) # 1 on ‘No poverty.’ Urban areas are characterised uneven spatial dribution and resource access, marginalising the poor. Schemes focused on strengthening livelihoods, such as PM SVANidhi (PM Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi) and DAY-NULM, have intangible outcomes as well – increased confidence, enhanced self-esteem, and stronger leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

The convergence of rural and urban schemes addressing poverty can also be helpful. ‘Son Chairiya’ initiative providing market visibility to DAY-NULM-SHGs is one example. Similarly, urban-book cafes, being run a few SHGs in Shimla, is another example where issues resulting from lack of access to a permanent workspace get addressed.
The way forward
Diversification of exing skill development programmes and working on creating adequate amenities and facilities for the urban poor are critical. For instance, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in several parts of the country – aimed at addressing WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) issues – also empowered women through unique livelihood opportunities it generated. ‘Rani Mris,’ or women engaged in masonry work, is a revolutionary idea to address gender stereotypes in construction work, and many rural women’s SHGs have been beneficiaries of such skill diversification.
On overall questions of urban livelihoods, Akriti Bhatia, an urban labour expert, says, “Insecure women workers such as street vendors and women members of SHGs face additional challenges in urban areas in comparison to their male counterparts when it comes to accessing various safety nets, safe and dedicated spaces of work, living and organising. We must focus on providing long-term productive employment and self-employment opportunities around the year (not just during festive seasons) through an urban employment guarantee programme; and the right to socio-spatial and gender justice in the cities.”
Deep waali Bahaar – a marigold nursery off the Yamuna bank. (Credit: Swasti Pachauri)
The idea of urban forest groups and nurseries can also be tapped into to promote diversification. During COVID-19, groups cultivating herbs and spices were encouraged. In the recent Yamuna floods, some low-lying areas got submerged. Forty-year-old Sunita started selling her marigold plants for Rs 20 each and set up her nursery on the road near East Delhi. While the floods caused severe discomfort and punctured their everyday living, selling beautiful ornamental plants from her nursery on the street gave her more footfall.

Pointing at her buoyant marigolds, she says, “Deep waali Bahaar mein achi bikri ho jaati hai (I do a good sale at Seep waali Bahaar).” Strengthening floriculture and horticulture thus could be undertaken with urban SHGs.
Corporate organisations and civil society too can strengthen Public Private Community Partnerships (PPCP) to support street vendors and hawkers. The recent Cadbury campaign #ShopsforShopless addresses this challenge of lack of access to permanent selling space. It recognises the enormous potential of small businesses with no access to physical infrastructure, albeit raising questions about digital equality.
Moreover, interactions between rural SHGs – a whopping 70 lakh plus in the country and urban SHGs could be undertaken. DAY-NULM has mobilised 61 lakh urban poor women, into SHGs and their federations (PIB, 2021). Mutual knowledge and cultural exchanges between rural and urban SHGs may be helpful in cross-learning. Such knowledge exchanges also contribute to the overall cultural capital of the country as envisioned under the objectives of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.’
As she wraps for the day, Poonam tells us how she has set up her Namkeen factory with all her savings and hopes to be a businesswoman one day. “Atmanirbhar sach mein bano, apne husband se paise mat maango (be independent and don’t take money from your husband),” she says, giving us hope and resilience just as markets abuzz with festivities after a gloomy hiatus, post-pandemic.
Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Diwali!
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