Aysha Saifuddin

As microfinance has become more readily available, many women in rural and suburban areas of Pakistan have started to earn incomes, but social norms and taboos serve to restrict their access to markets. Aysha Saifuddin is creating production houses for women and providing foothold access to national and international markets by creating a shareholder company: Kaarvan.

In rural areas of Pakistan where women producers do not have access to markets, Aysha has established connections with partner citizen organizations (COs) to link them into the economy. Her organization, Kaarvan, is a forum used to help rural and suburban women establish production houses, produce quality goods, and sell their products to uptown markets and for export. Through the development of production houses, products, and quality control mechanisms, Kaarvan reaches out to women by providing training and advice to help them become appealing subcontractors for international brands. 
Additionally, ensuring high quality goods enables women producers to take advantage of the high-end market. Kaarvan has set up a distribution network that includes four self-operated retail outlets in Karachi and Lahore, and they supply chains to other large retailers like those operating in hotels, boutiques, and malls. Aysha sees Kaarvan as the access point for women producers to reach out to markets internationally in Dubai and Malaysia, and she is creating partnerships with international brands to provide opportunities beyond Kaarvan’s own marketing capacities.
Aysha sees these female production houses gaining economic power as they diversify to produce utility goods other than traditional handicrafts. In the next five years, Kaarvan will double the number of production houses and enter into the vibrant cotton sector, setting the lead for Pakistan’s cotton goods producing industry.

In Pakistan, according to the International Labor Organization (2008), the participation of women in the labor force is about 35 percent, with the majority of their work being described as domestic. In comparison, the economic activity rate for women in Bangladesh is measured at 52 percent, and in Thailand 66 percent. The majority of Pakistan’s population lives in rural areas where women work in fields, tend livestock, and produce crafts as part of their domestic chores. However, with improvements in infrastructure, COs marketing microfinance products, and declining household purchasing power, women are increasingly turning to income earning professions. Because this shift is still quite recent, appropriate channels for women to access markets are lacking, and consequently, much of their work results in meager income. 
Additionally, cultural norms serve to restrict women’s income earning potential, limiting their mobility and access to markets for labor, learning, purchasing raw materials, and selling their products. When women travel, for instance, especially in rural areas, they must be accompanied by female companions or family members. Additionally, in some places, women producers are not allowed to enter retail establishments and must deal with middlemen. In such situations, it is seemingly impossible for international brands and mainstream dealers to connect with them.
In the case of women producers organized and trained through many of the development projects and organizations working in Pakistan, they tend to find it difficult to continue their businesses once these projects end. Even though some organizations have created special outlets for the small producers, especially those dealing with handicrafts, and help them to set up sale outlets in fairs and exhibitions, the lack of connection between the producers and markets limits women’s income earning capacities.

Kaarvan Crafts was formed as a spin off from KASHF, the microfinance organization for women, because Aysha felt that organizing women and linking them with the mainstream market required an entity dedicated to that task alone. The organization was set up as a company where producers are shareholders and would eventually have say in the management. With a grant from the Aga Khan Foundation, Aysha identified COs and trained their staff to identify and train women to work in groups. Business and skill training were provided to the women directly by Kaarvan and systems to price and regulate hours and work conditions were also set up.
Through Kaarvan, Aysha created outlets in Karachi and Lahore and carried out research related to the embellished products and candles these women were producing. The research helped in creating designs, establishing quality control measures, and enacting an appropriate distribution system.
Since its inception, Kaarvan has attracted international brands and exporters, particularly through the organized production by rural women in quality production houses. In 2003, Kaarvan started with 300 women and by 2006 had built up the producer base to 2,500, and expects to double this number by 2011.
In the next three years Kaarvan is looking to use the production house model with respect to the government and private sector’s development programs. Aysha views development of utility products in the cotton sector as crucial to gain market confidence and engage microfinance organizations and big producers. In the future, she hopes to make the production house a part of the commercial production chain. Having successfully connected with international brands, Aysha is exploring more ventures, all while Kaarvan continues to expand its number of retail outlets and tap the export market.

Aysha grew up in a very sheltered environment, with only one teacher in her youth encouraging her to pursue her interest in public issues. During her undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke in the U.S., she learned about under-development and poverty around the world, but particularly in her own country of Pakistan. When she returned home, she was struck by the abundance of disadvantaged people living on the streets, so she pursued a job in the citizen sector.
Dissatisfied with her work experiences, she decided to join Lahore University of Management Sciences for graduate studies. During this time, she saw Ashoka Fellow Roshaneh Zafar give a guest lecture on the work of KASHF. She was so impressed by the organization that upon completion of her degree she assumed a position there, training people and building the capacities of borrowers. Aysha’s work with KASHF served as an apprentice period, giving her time to carve out her own niche in the field, and the ability to envision her future work.