SRINAGAR: The All-Party Parliamentary Group on India (Trade and Investment) and Kings College London convened a dynamic roundtable discussion on ‘Gender Inclusivity in the UK-India Trade and Investment Relationship.’ The event, held at the House of Lords in the UK Parliament, featured Mujtaba Kadri, the founder of luxury pashmina brand Me&K, as a distinguished participant.
Kadri, a prominent businessman and craft revivalist, made history as the first Kashmiri to address the House of Lords in the UK. He advocated for “slow and sustainable fashion,” calling for duty-free import of ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ to support women artisans and the removal of negative travel advisories to Kashmir..
Chaired by Baroness Prashar, a figure with extensive knowledge and interest in gender-inclusive trade, the two-hour roundtable aimed to address key questions related to the impact of trade policies on women, the equitable distribution of trade benefits in India, challenges in designing inclusive trade policies, and raising consumer awareness on gender inclusivity.
During the introductory remarks, Kadri shed light on the efforts undertaken by Me&K to empower women and revive the art of hand spinning pashmina in Kashmir. He emphasised the growing demand for slow and sustainable fashion in today’s world and highlighted Kashmir’s pashmina and traditional textiles as prime examples of sustainability, having withstood the test of time for centuries.
Drawing attention to the significant role played by women in the pashmina industry, particularly in hand spinning and embroidery, Kadri stressed the importance of fair wages for female workers. He proposed the utilization of the ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ Geographical Indication (GI) tag as a means to ensure fair wages and empower women. The GI tag includes a QR code on each hand-spun pashmina, providing detailed information and authenticating the production process. With approximately 80% of wages paid in the hand spinning and weaving of pashmina products going to female workers, Kadri urged the Members of Parliament and the Chair to promote the import of ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ with a GI mark, thereby incentivizing entrepreneurs and designers to incorporate it into their creations. Such promotion would subsequently increase demand and uplift women’s wages.
Kadri further highlighted the impediment faced by Kashmir in trade due to negative travel advisories issued by the UK government over the past 33 years. These advisories have discouraged companies from sending personnel to the region for trade purposes, significantly impacting export trade. The Chair and the All-Party Parliamentary Group expressed surprise at this revelation and pledged to address the issue through the appropriate channels.
The Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group expressed keen interest in organising a meeting in Kashmir in the near future, indicating a commitment to fostering stronger trade ties and addressing the challenges faced by the region.
