About Us

Starting on a journey to build a business to support and empower woman of Kashmir.

OUR MISSION

Kashmir is described as ‘heaven on earth’ but on a closer look one will see the superficiality of that compliment. The region has been embroiled in conflict for over 80 years now and created a unique kind of ‘normal’.

One of the unique consequences of the conflict in Kashmir is the existence of ‘half-widows’, they are women whose husbands have disappeared but have not been officially or unofficially declared dead.

As men were directly subjected to the violence in Kashmir, women became the sole bread winners of the family, earning both for their in laws and their children. Most women already had the skill of making intricate needle and thread designs on clothes and they started using the same to earn a living. Women in Kashmir have become one of the main reasons that the indigenous art of Kashmir has been kept alive.

Art blooms in Kashmir and it is a necessity for survival and we, here at Shafi’s, aim to provide the women of Kashmir, a platform to do so. We are inspired by their resilience, their struggle, and their work and hope to support them in their efforts.

Our initiative is new, and while we aim to be the direct employers of the powerful women, we will be able to do so once we are firmly grounded. Our current stock on display is not completely made by these women yet but is an investment towards building a platform for them.