Sarai Khatun Mashhad, a center for supporting female heads of households

According to IRNA, Khatun camp garden was opened on December 3rd, 2018, at the same time as the auspicious birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) and Imam Jafar Sadiq (PBUH) in the presence of Ayatollah Raisi, the caretaker of Astan Quds Razavi, in an area of ​​20 hectares, with special design and services. And it was given to the women of Mashhad to be the first cultural, educational and social center for women, a space to present and supply innovative and creative works of women.

With the increase of economic problems, the number of women who enter the business space with the title of head of the household and earn money at different levels has increased, this presence has a wide range of jobs from labor and participation in the production line to management and entrepreneurship. It includes social along with special challenges and issues that affect their earning process. The point to ponder is the difficulty of entrepreneurship and job creation processes for women heads of households.

The mission of Bagh Khatun is to provide an environment for women to play a role with an innovative approach, which is implemented in different provinces through the design of creative social and cultural programs with the help of creative and innovative women.

Also, various programs are held in this camp on national and religious occasions. From the food and medicine festival to the exhibition of women’s industries, where creative and innovative women present their products to all the women of Mashhad and pilgrims. This environment has provided a space for artistic and capable women heads of the household so that they can give prosperity to their family’s economy.

Many of these female heads of households, despite their skill in producing various products, due to economic conditions, they cannot afford to rent a shop and present their products, and the lack of a place to present their products had become their main concern, and the establishment of the Sarai Khatun exhibition led to this. Their need has been answered, they can present their artistic products by attending it, which will lead to increasing the power and growth of their work and production fields in the community.

Verb of entrepreneurship by capable hands

The head of the Women and Family Affairs Center of the Karamat Razavi Foundation told IRNA reporter: After several years of being named by the Supreme Leader of the Revolution with the focus on production boom and endogenous economy, the Khatun Camp is an exhibition with the focus on entrepreneurship and self-employment for the women of Mashhad. .

Fatemeh Dezhbard added: In the exhibition of Sarai Khatun, the diversity and multitude of products from clothing and food to cultural products and all kinds of home-made foods are evident.

He continued: Some women are the head of the household for various reasons, and despite all the difficulties, they bear the burden of problems and run a family. Relying on their art and ability, by being present in the social and economic arena, including a wide range of jobs, from labor and participation in the production line to management and social entrepreneurship, they try to turn the wheel without reaching out to others. Turn your life around.

The head of Karamat Razavi Foundation’s Women and Family Affairs Center said: Khatun Camp Garden provides a place for innovative and entrepreneurial women so that their products and services can be exposed to the public and they can transfer their art and creativity to other women. . Therefore, since the establishment of the camp, several different exhibitions and bazaars have been held. Since many women do not have good marketing power to present their product, a space has been prepared for them to enter the job market and generate income.

He said: This exhibition is an opportunity to display and sell the creative and entrepreneurial achievements of Mashhad women, which will be held in the form of an exhibition and a bazaar in the Khatoon Camp Garden.

A market for selling women’s products

The head of the social events department of Karamat Razavi Foundation’s Women and Family Center also said: The Sarai Khatoon exhibition started in the Decade of Karamat in 2018, and the launch of Sarai Khatoon was one of the ideas of innovative women, which was proposed at the Khatoon Event Festival and based on it. Women entrepreneurs offer their products based on organic products in accordance with Iranian and Islamic culture in a safe environment.

Masoumeh Baadi added: Five editions of this exhibition have been held so far, and the fifth edition was held in June this year with the presence of 74 innovative and entrepreneurial women in 60 booths.

Stating that this exhibition has been held mostly during the Decade of Dignity and Women’s Week, he added: One of the objectives of the Sarai Khatun exhibition is to support and support innovative and entrepreneurial women to have a market for their products. The duration of the exhibition is 10 days, one week and five days.

The head of Social Events Department of Women and Family Center of Karamat Razavi Foundation stated: From the second half of last year, the value-creating mothers project included female heads of households in different neighborhoods of Mashhad. Empowering female heads of households at different levels is one of the goals of this project, which supports women entrepreneurs from beginners to professionals.

He continued: holding motivational, skill, business and product improvement classes or paying loans and providing the possibility of selling products and supporting their work development are among the things that are done to support these women. So far, 1,200 women have been identified in the suburbs of Mashhad in the framework of this project, and the necessary measures have been initiated for them.

Baadi said: All women who have a domestic job or are producers can present their products to the entrepreneurship officer of Khatun camp. Of course, many women may be active in the same field, in these cases, priority is given to cases where the production work of a woman must be a provider of Iranian Islamic lifestyle, with good quality and reasonable price, and that person is also the head of the household.

He continued: To attend the exhibition, if the products are satisfied by the audience and the ethics, behavior and character of the seller are good and the product is demanded by the people, there is no restriction to attend.

The head of the Social Events Department of Karamat Razavi Foundation’s Women and Family Center stated: Special exhibitions are also planned for this year, including the special exhibition of chastity and hijab.

Undoubtedly, the number of independent and entrepreneurial women of Mashhad is not limited to those present in the “Serai Khatun” bazaar, and many of them have an ups and downs road ahead of them in the corners of their homes without any support. Institutions responsible for creating employment for women should use the practical experiences of Astan Quds Razavi to empower the less privileged sections of the society, for the benefit of promoting a resilient economy.