The Telangana Prisons & Correctional Services Department has initiated the Rehabilitation and Empowerment Initiative for Women Inmates (REHAI), a pioneering initiative to empower skilled women inmates as professional fashion artisans for premium national and international markets.
The initiative was started on Wednesday under the leadership of Director General of Prisons & Correctional Services of Telangana, Soumya Mishra in the Special Prison for Women, Hyderabad. The program is in partnership with Her Rights Foundation (represented by Divya Reddy and Bobby Kandhari).
The development of REHAI has been intended to reinforce the rehabilitation process by not only offering advanced fashion and textile skills to women inmates but also skills that go beyond the simple means of vocational training. The program emphasizes improving the existing skills in tailoring and embroidery skills and imparting up-to-date skills in design, product development, branding, quality control and market linkage. To help participants develop high-quality handcrafted garments & fashion products to industry standards.
The program follows a previous 100-day training skill development program conducted by Telangana Prisons Department in collaboration with NAC. REHAI aims to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for women following their release, facilitating their reintegration into society through making meaningful livelihoods and allowing financial independence by introducing the concept of professional mentorship and access to wider markets.
Key Highlights:
- REHAI launched to train women inmates for the premium fashion industry
- Program combines advanced fashion skills with market access
- London fashion show planned to showcase inmates' creations
The products developed under the REHAI brand will be initially sold in the Upscale and High Society market of Telangana Prisons Department, the department said. For the women artisans, plans are also in the making to get them into national and international markets, first after expanding their sales into South India, which would give them more exposure to the market.
The inmates will be mentored by fashion professional Divya Reddy who has worked with top designers and has attended Lakme Fashion Week. She will be focusing on current fashion trends, craftsmanship, product finishing and high quality standards, while keeping the products competitive in high fashion markets.
In view of the long vision of the initiative the Telangana Prisons Department and Her Rights Foundation are planning to organize a designer fashion show in London. It is anticipated that it will feature the presentation of unique collections made by the female inmates before an international audience, presenting an overview of their skill and promoting rehabilitation through creative enterprise.
During the launch, Dr. Soumya Mishra stressed a need for rehabilitation to go beyond vocational training. The department prioritizes the development of sustainable livelihood opportunities through advanced skill acquisition and professional mentorship, along with market linkages, allowing women inmates to build their lives with dignity, confidence, and economic independence, she added.
The launch ceremony was attended by Dr. D. Srinivas, DIG Prisons; N. Shiva Kumar Goud, Superintendent, Central Prison, Hyderabad; T. Venkata Lakshmi Srinath, Superintendent, Special Prison for Women, Hyderabad; B. Amaravathi, DSP Jails, Special Prison for Women, Hyderabad; representatives of the Her Rights Foundation, prison officials, staff members, and women inmates.
The REHAI initiative is further testimony of the Telangana Prisons Department's ongoing commitment to the correctional reforms agenda, with a special emphasis on rehabilitation, skill development and social reintegration. The program's goal is to establish avenues for long-term economic empowerment and successful reintegration by linking women in prison with professional fashion training and access to market opportunities.
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