Saheli Women’s ethical fashion and women’s welfare model

India, with its ancestral wisdom, its intense and unforgettable scents, its iridescent colors, and its elegant ornaments, transports us to a world as wondrous as it is complex. A cradle of spirituality and the beating heart of profound philosophies, India is a captivating country, rich in contrasts and vibrancy, capable of generating powerful, transformative projects that serve as an example for all humanity. First and foremost is Saheli Woman, a women’s social organization dedicated to sustainable fashion that currently involves 200 women from two rural villages outside Jodhpur, Bhikamkor and Kali Beri. These women are economically independent, free to make their own decisions, and happy to contribute their talents to a high-quality craft valued worldwide, which has led to Saheli Women being recognized as a member organization of the United Nations Fashion & Lifestyle network. “When you empower a woman, you empower an entire community” was the intuition of Madhu Vaishnav, the project’s founder, after experiencing the discrimination lived also by many other women in India. Drawing on her background in social work and sustainable development, she has created what can be described as a model of women’s workplace welfare. Together with her we discover all the beauty of this project.

Why did you create Saheli Women?

I was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, into a very traditional Indian family and married a man whose family hails from rural Bhikamkor. I personally faced all the difficulties a woman from a middle-class family can face, including the inability to travel and study. So I had to work hard to gain my freedom. I talked, explained to all my family members, both men and women, how important it was for me to gain experience and study, and so I was able to emancipate myself and follow my own path. I worked as a social worker in communities and then studied abroad to practice social welfare and understand that my calling was to help other women in this process of independence. Furthermore, I understood through experience that investing in the happiness and well-being of women also means investing in future generations and the prosperity of an entire village. When you ask a woman what her dream is, she will answer: the future of my children and my community.

What opportunities did you draw upon to build the project?

After studying sustainable development in California, I returned to India and realized that women in rural villages didn’t have the opportunity to study, yet they all owned a sewing machine and the skills of textile craftsmanship. I therefore decided to focus on and enhance this talent, which they develop freely by attending training courses in their favorite areas. For example, Rukiya Khilgi Center Manager and cutting Master. She was a housewife, never attended school, and was unable to use contraceptives. This is a very difficult situation for women here in India, and one we still have a lot to fight for. When I met her, she joined the project, starting by cleaning the offices. Today, in addition to being a manager and having gained the freedom to choose for her own body, she is the “powerhouse” of our center, a great inspiration for all of us.

I can feel so much passion and love in what you do.

Helping women is the reason for my existence. At twenty, I went through a period of self-reflection. Like many of us, I asked myself: why am I here on this earth? What is my purpose in this life? And then I got married, had my children, and found an answer for myself: I’m here to help women emancipate themselves, to live freely. For me, it’s not tiring; for me, it’s a joy. Every time I go to work, it’s like going to a party. When women are together, everything becomes a celebration.

How can women achieve independence at Saheli Women?

The project has several levels. It’s a place of work, but also a place of social gathering. All the women in the village can come, socialize, share thoughts, problems, joys… or even just observe the work we do to create the collections. We’ve all been through very difficult times and periods of depression. Creating a social context where we can share our feelings, feel supported, and at the same time, useful and important, is truly therapeutic for each of us. We’re located in a central area of ​​the villages, easily accessible to everyone. No man is allowed to enter without permission. Only women and children. Since we must cover our faces and heads when we’re with men, we want to feel free here, with our privacy respected.

What specific activities do you do?

Some women are involved in the women’s farm and grow organic cotton, others are involved in natural fabric dyeing, still others in eco-friendly printing, embroidery, pom pom making, and much more. We have many training programs, and they are divided according to the women’s age. It’s important to understand that each stage of life has its own specificities. Older women do simpler, less demanding jobs, while the younger generations are more involved in creative endeavors. All of this is advice we give them because, ultimately, they have complete freedom to choose. This concerns both the type of work and the pace. Our desire is for every woman to be able to enjoy her own specific stage of life.

It seems like a dream. This trust, respect, and mutual support is truly precious for all of us women. Especially considering that companies often develop according to Western, male-dominated models, where the focus is solely on profit and a grueling work schedule.

It’s difficult for us women, both physically and emotionally, to follow these models. We’re different from them; we can’t expect to change our nature. Here, women even decide when to go on vacation and manage their work based on their needs, their families, and their children. For example, Sunday isn’t a day off for them because their holidays are based on the lunar cycles. We also provide great support to young mothers and pregnant women. They can bring their children here, who are cared for by all the women in the community.

What’s the process for producing a collection with Saheli Women?

A requirement to our clients is to spend at least a few days with us at the center to learn about the project firsthand. It’s important to see how the clothes are made and to appreciate the entire creative process. Here, we can show samples created based on the mood board and the client’s instructions, or we can ship everything. It takes 2 to 3 months to complete the entire process because each piece is handmade. All the women dedicate themselves to the collections, freely choosing how and when. 

Can you share an experience that truly touched your heart?

Every story is so powerful, it’s hard to choose just one. In addition to the one I already told you about our embroidery artisan, I think of Shobha our Embroidery Master. She is from an untouchable village, meaning those who work cleaning toilets, a social condition that faces intense discrimination here in India. Their lives are considered miserable. It’s sad to think that people’s dignity for may people in India is measured by their caste. This woman’s struggle was truly arduous. Much more so than ours. In 2015, when she joined our organization, no one wanted to touch her, talk to her… We invested time and effort into conveying the importance of including her and supporting her. We tried to convey that we all share the same experience, and that’s why we need to help each other. Today, she’s an embroidery manager. She went from struggling to be accepted by other women to being their manager, and she’s greatly appreciated. She’s very creative in her design, her style… and the discrimination she experienced has become a milestone, an example for other untouchable women in the villages. Now we have more untouchable women coming to our center.

We know that different parts of the world have different situations. For example, in the West, we have many more rights for women than here, much more freedom, but there’s a profound struggle to use it, to feel our worth. If you were to talk to a woman who has all the tools at hand but a profound inner weakness in using them, what would you say?

Build a community. If you stay at home, locked in, wondering what you could do, you’ll never accomplish anything. I believe that coming together, creating a platform, and a community can create real change. Through Bloom as You Are, for example, you’re doing this. With this interview in your magazine, I’d like to share with your community the opportunity to come and experience our community as well. We have positions that last from three to six months, for example in production, social media; whatever skills women have, they can put them to use here. From October to March, we also offer trips for an artisan immersion. You can come and spend time with us, learn about the project, and learn from the women of Saheli Women.