National: With the aim of creating a sustainable impact and fostering sisterhood, coto, a social community platform for women, and Sirohi, an artisan-backed sustainable luxury brand join hands to elevate the lives of women artisans in Muzaffarnagar. This association will entail a series of on-ground workshops facilitated by coto community creators, experts and community leaders from NGOs and social impact organisations, addressing a variety of social barriers like health, mental health, parenting, and financial independence. SII has also partnered with the campaign to have an expert who will share valuable insights into the causes, symptoms, and prevention of Cervical cancer.
Both coto and Sirohi share a vision for social impact and empowerment and this initiative is a significant step towards realising the same. The initiative aims to create a safe space for marginalised women artisans between the age of 25-45 who find it difficult to discuss sensitive topics and regularly face societal taboos. Featuring a year-long workshop series, this initiative will contribute significantly towards educating these women on subjects like health and hygiene, mental wellbeing, parenting skills and ways to improve financial independence while encouraging open discussions on the same. As part of the initiative, through a strategic partnership with Zeelab, a medical camp will be conducted and free medical kits will be provided to the women artisans.
As an extension of this initiative, coto will introduce these women to its many digital communities on the platform to empower them towards ideas of self sufficiency and financial independence. The community will also help them in the process of self-development and boosting their individuality by honing their existing skill sets and encouraging them to break barriers one conversation at a time.
Speaking about this unique association, Aparna Acharekar, Co-founder, coto said, “Since its inception, coto has envisioned providing a safe and secure digital environment for women wherein they can discuss their concerns, opinions and ideas without any apprehensions. We are delighted to collaborate with Sirohi as it gives us a chance to make an impact at the grassroots level. Through this initiative, we aim to bring conversations about mental health, women’s hygiene, parenting and fundamentals of financial literacy offline and empower them to make informed decisions and choices. ”
Discussing the impact of the collaboration, Gauri Malik, Founder, Sirohi, said, “We believe this association will bring a much needed change, not only in the mindset but also bring out the true potential of women artisans that we work with. Through this collaboration, we aim to hold a variety of impactful conversations that are not only inspiring but also encourage them to have an individual standing in their immediate environment. This initiative will act as an extension of our already existing skill development and training programmes that focus on other social aspects of their lives. ”
Through this initiative, coto and Sirohi aim to extend their support to women groups to raise their level of knowledge and understanding. The idea is to empower their core belief systems to break out of their domestic responsibilities and expectations, voicing their concerns, opinions and thoughts.
