Uttarkashi: Women, who are always known to be an active part of the workforce in Uttarakhand, have now scripted history by creating self-employment opportunities by boosting tourism.
In Matholi village of Banchaura area of Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, rural women are seen participating in agriculture, forest protection and cattle care like others but are also catering to the tourism sector by working as trekking guides and running homestays. The initiative is being run under the name of 'Bwari Gaon' (women's village).
The initiative was first introduced by a couple from Matholi village in 2022 and later the womenfolk of the village were connected to it. Pradeep Panwar and his wife Anila Panwar, associated with mountaineering and tourism, started working towards generating self-employment by converting their cowshed into a homestay. After this, they included the women of the village in this project, educating and training them about hospitality, tenting and trekking.
Slowly the effort turned into 'Bwari Gaon', run by women. Women of Matholi village are currently working here along with handling their farms and kitchen work. Today, this has become a major source of income for these rural women. The specialty of Bwari Gaon is that all activities are performed by the women.
Around 30 to 40 rural women welcome the tourists and provide them with local cuisine and assist in trekking in the areas around the village. They also provide facilities to tourists to set up tents and engage in other camping activities. Tourists from across the country and abroad come here round the year to connect with the local cultures, customs and traditions through women.
Some of the women engaged in this initiative, namely Babita, Rajni, Archana, Moolma Devi and Raji said after Bwari Gaon started operating, a new dimension has been given to self-employment. They said that sharing information and meeting domestic and foreign tourists also help in the development of the village.
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