Srinagar, Sept. 3 -- By Masoodi Mehreena

Before dawn breaks in her hometown of Kupwara, Shakeela Khan is already sorting almonds by hand.

She separates the plump kernels from the broken ones, checks a batch of walnuts for moisture, and weighs out saffron threads on a small digital scale.

The work is repetitive and precise, but she goes through it with the ease of someone who knows her craft well, checking each batch without hesitation.

Shakeela, 33, married to Javaid Ahmad Khan, a driver from Manigah in Kupwara, is a mother of two. Her days once looked entirely different.

She spent time as a Radio Jockey at Trehgam Radio, a job that gave her a voice on air but little room to grow beyond it.

The position felt closed off, a ceiling sh...