“We want you to hear our voices. We have a voice and I would like it if people and brands help us to reach out and use it, sharing our thoughts rather than simply holding a flyer for a photograph. I would like the world to know about the strong ladies who change their lives through fashion, and how these beautiful women bring a positive connotation to the clothing – empowering the maker and the wearer at the same time. At the end of the day, when the clothes are made with love then they can be worn with confidence.”

⁓ Madhu - Founder Saheli Women

Madhu Vaishnav founded Saheli Women in 2015 with a dream to provide social and economic independence to women in her community. Seeing that every woman in her village owned a sewing machine as a part of their marriage dowry, Madhu started Saheli Women together with five women and only 100$.

Together we grew and today the Saheli Women is a female atelier where over 70 women bring beautiful designs to life. The collective is founded on the principles of fair and inclusive design, reviving ancestral crafts, and aimed at community development through creativity and facilitating women’s economic and social rural independence. 87% of the women are the sole income providers of their families.

Additionally, IPHD - the NGO linked to Saheli women - supports the education of all daughters of Saheli Women members, runs the only female health clinic in the village, and delivers workshops on a range of topics including human rights, feminism, menstrual hygiene, health, and financial literacy.