WOMEN FORM A SIGNIFICANT PORTION of the Zardozi and Haathari workforce in Varanasi but are mainly restricted to working from the home regardless of their age, skill, faith and level of education. It is hard to come across women karkhandars (contractors) or women designers for Zardozi or Haathari work. Jasmine, a 28-year-old postgraduate of Sociology from Gaurigunj observes "The women of the community are not encouraged to pursue a career which will require them to leave the protection and the ever watchful eyes of her family." So with all other career options closed, she is currently engaged in Haathari work at home along with her husband.

A woman worker cannot openly visit a karkhandar or gadhidar to either promote her workmanship or collect work materials for existing order. And neither is it easy for a karkhandar to casually drop in to meet a woman worker. This very effectively arrests a woman worker`s attempts to improve her state of affairs. Sujatha from Mukhimgunj is a skilled Zardozi worker and is one of the few who make Zardozi badges. "I cannot go and canvass for more work as I am a woman worker and people will not view it well," says Sujatha. Despite being a commended Zardozi worker and the need to provide for her three children, Sujatha cannot approach new karkhandars for fear of sullying her family`s honour. It is ironic that her husband`s drunken antics cause a lesser slur on the family honour than Sujatha`s working outside her home.

Honour Bound and Weighed Down
The woman worker is denied entry into a karkhana (production unit). Consequently she does her share of the Zardozi or Haathari work at home. `Home` is usually a tiny hovel serving as a living as well as work area. Rabiya, from Dhai Neem Kangura area of Koyla Bazaar, along with eighteen others consisting of wives of her brothers-in-law and their families uses the crammed three rooms to sleep, cook and for their Zardozi work too.

Ironically, the very fact that the woman worker does her work from home is held against her while judging her work. "Male karigars produce better work any day," vouches karigar turned karkhandar Mohammed Kamal of Koyla Bazaar. "Women take the work allotted home and consequently there is no monitoring of their work. So their workmanship usually lacks finesse and is very rough". The karkhandars are of the opinion that the quality of a woman`s work is very often suspect as it is done along with her housework. So women workers are not considered skilled enough to carry out exclusive quality Zardozi work. But Haathari worker Tara of Shivala makes a point. "If the housework is left undone or if the meals are not prepared on time all fingers are immediately going to point to the women of the household. Nobody is going to appreciate the fact that Zardozi or Haathari work needs focused effort. We cannot thus ignore our duties in the house and neither can we ignore the work at hand because that is our only source of income," contends Tara. If a member of the household lends a hand with the Zardozi or Haathari work, it is a very welcome respite for the woman worker. But this may result in a `less than perfect` workmanship.

More Work and Less Pay
As they are essentially home-based workers, women do not receive a Nafri, which is the regular norm of payment for a male Zardozi or Haathari worker. Instead they are paid a piece rate. This piece rate generally includes the cost of sequins, kora, dabka, bullion and other raw materials that would be required for the Zardozi or Haathari work. Although the home based male karigars are paid a minimum piece rate of Rs 160/- for a saree, the piece rate for the women workers begins at only Rs 110/-.
Though very much aware of this discrimination in rates, the woman worker does not argue or try to bargain for more. The reasons Kursheed of Koyla Bazaar mentions are very straightforward, "The number of karkhandars who are allowed to interact with me as of now is just two. So a disagreement with any of them will be foolish as I do not have an alternative for work orders." So the fearless Kursheed who single handedly put a stop to her in-laws harassing her chooses not to annoy her karkhandar on the issue of equal payment.

Schooling - a Distant Dream
Living in an environment which discriminates against the females, 10-year-old Haathari worker Shabana is bemused by the question - "Have you ever been to school?" She has been a Haathari worker for three years now. Her brothers had the privilege of tuition classes for three years and then took to Zardozi work. But for many girls even the basic facility to learn to read and write is not an option.

Sisters Nazreen and Parmeen of Pathanitola were more fortunate. They were sent to the local school till their 8th grade. Now they are both apprentices in Zardozi work and are supplementing the family income. Education has not been seen to make any remarkable change in the lifestyle of the women in these communities. Shabnam of Gaurigunj who graduated from Sophia`s College, Mumbai, four years ago, admits that despite being educated in the highly progressive atmosphere, she never dared to dream about a career. "I always knew that I would never have the option to pursue a career here in Varanasi and so never wasted life`s precious moments chasing impossible dreams!"

Marriage is their only promising gateway to some kind of freedom and fresh air for most young girls. As newly married Zoya states, " If your husband so wishes you can avoid using the purdah and no one will frown upon you. If he is not involved in to this area of work then you will not have to do Zardozi or Haathari work either." Zoya does not do Haathari work anymore like her sisters as her husband employed in a Persian Gulf country does not wish her to.

For most young girls involved in Zardozi or Haathari work there is limited hope for moving out of this sphere as it is quite difficult to acquire an alliance outside the Zardozi and Haathari community. An early marriage becomes imperative to avoid the illnesses that hound a Zardozi worker get an obvious grip on her, thus making her a less interesting marriage proposition and a larger burden on her family.

The role of the daughter is thus very clear - make herself useful around the house till her marriage and then enhance the family prestige by being favorable enough to secure a good alliance from a respectable family. Her skill, talent, intelligence, potential, dreams and aspirations are of no consequence. Amazingly, the women Zardozi workers reveal a complete reconciliation to their dismal state of affairs. As far as they are concerned, there is no light shining at the end of the dark tunnel of life. They have been conditioned by traditions and hard circumstances to listlessly continue to embroider shimmer and sparkle on yards of vibrant silk that will brighten another person`s day!