Saheli Women offers unique and exciting internship opportunities to university students (undergraduate or graduate) from around the world who are passionate about ethical fashion, rural development and women’s empowerment.
Students may apply to one of our two programs: the IPHD Livelihood Program internship or as a Saheli Women Student Partner. Saheli Women Student Partners have the chance to bring their own designs to life and/or teach practical income-generating skills to women in the village.
IPHD Livelihood Program
Interns in our Livelihood Program will work for our parent nonprofit organization, the Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development (IPHD), in Jodhpur, India. The position is ideal for students who are interested in fashion design, fashion business management, ethical marketing or developing rural artisan skills.
Livelihood Program interns will be responsible for managing relationships with our fashion house and designer partners, reaching out to new potential partners, posting on our social media and assisting with operations at the Saheli Women clothing and accessories production facility in Bhikamkor village. Interns will also design, plan and implement a sustainable project with IPHD’s assistance.
Interns will gain valuable experience in the ethical fashion industry and learn how a sustainable value chain works from the pre- to post-production phases. Students also form bonds with the women who work in the village, along with our international partners in the ethical luxury fashion industry.
This internship is unpaid and students are required to pay a program fee that covers educational workshops, job training, basic Hindi language lessons, housing, food and project costs. All candidates must commit to the position for at least six weeks.
Interested in applying? Check our IPHD internship FAQs and then fill out an application here. Please specify in the application that you are interested in working with Saheli Women.
Saheli Women Student Partner
Saheli Women Student Partners are treated as any other fashion house or designer partner. This gives students the unique opportunity to produce their original designs through an ethical process. Student partners may also lead sessions teaching sewing, stitching or embroidery techniques to women in the Saheli Community Center.
Student partners must come to India with designs for clothing, accessories or homeware that they wish to have our women make. IPHD will then assist student partners through the process of sourcing locally-made fabrics (organic cotton, vegetable-dyed cotton, block print, silk, satin or ikat), preparing a sample with a local tailor and teaching women in the village to create the designs.
The position is unpaid and interns are required to pay a program fee (production costs are not included in this fee). Students may apply for our short-term program (two-five weeks) or our long-term program (at least six weeks). The program fee will vary depending on the duration of your stay and the nature of your project.
Interested in applying? Please email saheliwomen@iphdindia.com with your resume.
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