Sari Weavers Struggle Amid Economic Boom

In India, weaving saris is a common way to earn a living, second only to farming in terms of the country’s most popular occupation. “The father of independent India, Mohandas Gandhi, clad in his homespun loincloth, launched his nationalist movement to defy colonialism by encouraging Indians to stop wearing cheap British machine-made cloth in favor of Indian-made fabrics, partly as a gesture of self-reliance,” writes Emily Wax for the Washington Post. But Indian weavers now face ruin as China supplies low-cost, machine-made saris. The weavers blame globalization – the age-old phenomenon of entrepreneurs relying on technology to reduce costs and selling to consumers who cannot resist low prices. Changing fashion trends and global trade regulations allow foreign competitors to enter the Indian market, and India’s lack of a social-support system leaves most sari weavers vulnerable to market forces. The industry’s decline has consequences: suicides, poverty and malnourished children among the families who rely on the income. Helping those left behind in globalization’s wake may be one of India’s greatest challenges as an emerging economy. – YaleGlobal