Saheli Women
Our Story
Since day one, we have put our workers first, striving for ethical fashion that generates a sustainable income for our female workers and their families.
2015 · Bhikamkor
It began in a village in rural Rajasthan.
In 2015, Madhu Vaishnav founded Saheli Women through her nonprofit, IPHD, after she attended a wedding in the rural Rajasthani village of Bhikamkor. There, Madhu was first introduced to the women of Bhikamkor. Inspired by their strength, resilience and ability to support their families with little means, Madhu enrolled in university to educate herself further on sustainable development and community development initiatives.
Initially, Madhu facilitated humanitarian workshops in the village, but the women struggled to apply their learnings without jobs or financial control. Once she realised that each woman owned a sewing machine as part of her marriage dowry, Madhu identified a unique opportunity to leverage these existing skills and resources. She began offering skills development training and livelihood opportunities.
When you empower one woman, you empower an entire community.
The first five
Breaking cultural norms while maintaining family values.
Throughout our journey we have faced many challenges, particularly those rooted in cultural norms. This began after five brave, dedicated women completed our first skills development training and began work with us outside their homes, a notable cultural shift.
Thanks to both these women and their trusting families and husbands who believed in them, the cultural situation is improving. Saheli women have earned and maintained a respected position within these communities, so much so that Madhu has been approached numerous times to build studios in villages elsewhere.
2022 · Kali Beri
Growing with every stage of our journey.
Our first Saheli Women studio began in the rural village of Bhikamkor with just five women and a budget of $100 USD. Those humble beginnings still influence the way we work today. Our team has grown to include over one hundred artisans working within their local community to create garments for international fashion labels.
With a dedicated team and the support of our partners, we opened a second atelier in the village of Kali Beri in 2022, a space to expand our skills training in eco-print, block print and natural dye.
Our name
Saheli means “female friend” in Hindi.
We build on local knowledge, skills and abilities, create meaningful livelihood opportunities, preserve traditional crafts, produce quality garments, and advocate for the women who make your clothes. We act as a bridge that connects rural Indian artisans with international fashion brands, co-creating ethical and sustainable garments, accessories and homewares.
Milestones
Moments we are proud of.
- Our founder, Madhu Vaishnav, is an Advisory Committee member for the UN Conscious Fashion & Lifestyle Network.
- Madhu spoke at the first Annual Meeting of the United Nations Conscious Fashion & Lifestyle Network’s Fashion Impact Fund in New York.
- We grew our team of artisans to more than one hundred women through our Skills Development Programme.
- We trained our Bhikamkor artisans in handloom weaving.
- We developed relationships with ikat, silk and cotton artisan communities.
- We are now able to offer maternity leave to our artisans.
- We ran a one-day opticians clinic and provided free glasses to the women who needed them.
- We completed FCRA registration and can now accept donations from abroad.
Our vision
An organisation of the women, by the women, and for the women.
We are dedicated to empowering women through sustainable and ethical fashion. By focusing on education, career opportunities and financial independence, we aim to foster freedom and gender equality, and to build an inclusive, diverse and ecologically responsible community.
