Kantha Stitch as Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: Women-Led Regenerative Tourism and Rights of Nature in West Bengal

This study examines Kantha embroidery as a form of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK) that embodies ecological values, cultural traditions and sustainable livelihoods in rural West Bengal. Kantha embroidery, which is often examined for its aesthetic properties, is also a medium of resource conservation, economic empowerment and gender-based environmental stewardship. The study engages a two-phase qualitative methodology, with the first phase entailing document analysis of government policies, NGO initiatives, and social media platforms that aid the promotion of Kantha; the second phase is semi-structured interviews with the intermediaries that connect artisans' work to urban and global marketplaces. Data were analysed through a multidisciplinary framework of gendered labour, commercialisation and epistemic injustice. Results showed that Kantha represents eco-spiritual values as well as intergenerational environmental awareness. The artisans declared a definitive preference for regenerative, community-based tourism while decrying the exploitative processes of mass tourism. Their customary practices are forms of ecological care and cultural continuity. The study presents the importance of participatory governance, local agency and “Rights of Craft” as a means to provide Kantha a legal and ecological entity. It expands South Asian feminist environmental thinking and supports a move to grassroots ways of sustainability. The findings are relevant to policy platforms aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).