Bhai Dooj Celebration Commemorates Gender Equality in the Community
The Hindu holiday of Bhai Dooj has been reinterpreted by MarketPlace: Handwork of India women artisans to include reverence of not just siblings but the global family. MarketPlace, a nonprofit, fair-trade organization supports 480 artisans in 14 cooperatives in Mumbai, India.
(PRWEB) July 28, 2005
The fifth and final day of the major Hindu festival Diwali is Bhai Dooj. The celebration commemorates the day Yamaraj, the Lord of Death and the Custodian of Hell, visits his sister Yami, who puts the auspicious mark on his forehead and prays for his well being. Bhai Dooj is understood to keep all those with tilaks from being thrown into hell. Thus traditionally, the sister applies tilak on her brotherÂ’s forehead and wishes him a long and successful life; he then blesses her and offers her sweets and gifts in return.
Symbolizing the love and affection between brother and sister and meant to strengthen the bond between them, Bhai Dooj blesses both siblings and calls for mutual love and respect. Representing an equal and balanced gender interaction is not just a tenant of this holiday, however; it is a fundamental principle of the nonprofit, fair trade organization MarketPlace: Handwork of India.
Founded in 1986 as a way for low-income women to use their sewing skills to make living wages, MarketPlace now employs 480 artisans in 14 artisan-owned cooperatives in and around Mumbai, India. With a mission rooted in gender equality and social justice, MarketPlace involves these women in every aspect of handmade apparel and home décor production, from fabric dyeing to catalog production to business decisions. This model of development leads to financially independent lifestyles and to gender empowerment for women who have never before been able to support themselves or their children. To view the products and learn more about MarketPlace, visit the website at www. marketplaceindia. com.
In addition to the fair trade products, MarketPlace also provides Social Action programs, wherein the women use their newfound communication and organizational skills to tackle local social issues such as alcohol abuse, womenÂ’s rights, and health care in their communities. This mutual respect and reverence for others extends beyond the traditional Bhai Dooj focus on sibling relationships, and illustrates how MarketPlace artisans have reinterpreted Bhai Dooj to include the community in their understanding of gender equality and social justice.
For more information contact Kimberly German at 847-328-4011.
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