Empowering women graduates of handicrafts in the management of design, production and supply of products

Handicrafts are art-industry that women always play an important role in the process of designing and producing it, and a significant part of the activists in this field are women. Products of handicrafts, in addition to applied value, form the national and cultural identity of nations and, despite the features such as high value added and the low dependence on foreign sources can play an important role in economic development, which is the basis of cultural and social developments. The increase in population and the expansion of urbanization on the one hand, and the emergence of virtual communication tools on the other hand, have changed the markets of production and supply of handicrafts. This change caused the artist-artisan gains the opportunity to expand the range of activity and relation from indigenous ranges to global markets. For decades, the field of handicrafts is taught in Iranian universities, and most of these graduates are women. However, this question arises. What solutions can be provided to empower graduates in the management of design, production and supply in spite of changing nature of the market and the lifestyle of people of community and the development of domestic and foreign competition? The results of the research indicate that according to the small or medium businesses by graduates, the acquisition of new managerial knowledge and skills along with specialized art education has a significant effect on increasing the ability of graduates in the competition and successful presence in three areas of design, production and supply of handicraft works and products.