Apparel exporters in India hardly ever have time to talk, given the pressure of meeting order deadlines or dealing with the tension of slow business. Under such circumstances, how would women get relief from the insurmountable stress they encounter each and every day?
To get a better picture of this, Apparel Resources asked some of the women entrepreneurs, and was amused to find out that not all women release tension by means of shopping, vacationing, watching movie or reading a book.
Asmita Dwivedi Paliwal, Director of Abhiasmi International, (Paliwal Group), Panipat, one of the most famous companies in the Indian home furnishing segment, says, “Nothing is a better stress-buster than spending time with family. Unfortunately, we pack so much into our schedules and constantly fight to make this quality time.”
She added, “We believe more in actions than symbolic gestures. I think Women’s Day is a day to reflect on where we stand today as women and how well we are engaging and have empowered women in our organisation. It is also the time to find the loose ends and take responsibility to fulfil them with a planned and concerted effort.
Bela Katrak, MD, ColorLines Clothing India, Bangalore has an interesting opinion regarding this. She says, “Stress is good when the situation offers opportunity to a person to gain something. It acts as a motivation for peak performances. Stress is negative when a person faces social, physical, organizational and emotional problems. Stress usually gets busted through work satisfaction. Once, the results come out good, the effort was all worth it.”
On the celebration of this day, she stated: “For me, it’s a celebration of women’s movement. It’s a special day, when we can all come out in strength and wear our badges, feel good and remember that we’re all feminists after all, and what that whole struggle is all about.”
Meanwhile, Geeta Lakra, Superfine Knitters, Ludhiana believes in spirituality, and considers it as the best stress buster. “Many women in my factory share their problems, like family issues, with me, as they believe in me. I advice them as best as I can, and motivate them to work and tackle such situations on the stride. This is a kind for stress-buster for my team, and I believe in spiritual practices that make me strong.”
As part of its support system for women, the company offers free and safe transportation. Superfine Knitters is the only company in Ludhiana that has adopted lean system, solar power.
