It’s time to celebrate the fusion of social empowerment and fashion. Here are some women's cooperatives and organisations that create crafted clothing, symbolising strength and resilience through sustainable and ethical fashion options. These cooperatives foster economic independence, creativity, and empowerment among women, highlighting the transformative power of fashion beyond style.
Sadhna Women’s Handicraft Enterprise
Image Source: sadhna.org
Sadhna Women’s Handicraft Enterprise, founded in 1988, empowers women in rural, tribal, and urban slum areas by providing alternative incomes. With over 600 artisans, it enhances women's well-being and self-esteem while offering diverse handcrafted products. Widely recognised for its community impact and livelihood opportunities for women. Sadhna’s artisans specialise in hand-embroidered fabric used for clothing, décor, and accessories, employing techniques like Tanka and Patchwork. Sadhna also promotes zero-waste production and empowers women through expert artisan training, enabling them to create exquisite products from home.
WomenWeave
Image Source: womenweave.org
Established in 2003 in Maheshwar, WomenWeave empowers local women by providing sustainable livelihoods through handloom weaving. Registered as a Charitable Trust, the organisation trains and supports women weavers, connecting them to domestic and international markets. Through initiatives like Gudi Mudi, WomenWeave combines craftsmanship with Gandhian ideals to create a sustainable village economy, fostering skill development and market access for women artisans. The artisans create a range of products from handspun cotton fabrics, to handcrafted silk saris and dupattas.
Ruaab
Image Source: ruaabsewa.com
Ruaab, founded in 2009 by SEWA, empowers women artisans to fuse traditional creativity into modern designs. Sewa Ruaab showcases traditional Indian weaving, emphasizing Phulia, West Bengal, and Bhagalpur, Bihar craftsmanship. Empowering women producers, they cultivate a transparent and ethical garment model, providing fair returns and meaningful employment. The brand aims to foster secure futures for artisan women through micro-credit, vocational training, and social security benefits. The women from Ruaab create products using crafts like Jamdani, Chikankari, Aari work and more.
Charaka
Image Source: charaka.in
Established in 1994 by activist Prasanna, the Charaka Project aims to offer affordable handloom textiles and provide employment to women weavers in the Malnad region's Bhimanakone village. This self-sustaining cooperative, now comprising over 800 artisans, focuses on eco-friendly cotton fabrics using natural dyes sourced locally. They promote a stress-free work environment and fair wages, empowering women who had previously worked in the areca farms and managed household chores. The project envisions reversing rural-to-urban migration by creating a self-sufficient enterprise benefiting both the village and its residents.
Disha For Women
Image Source: Instagram/dishaforwomen
DISHA, established in 2009 and entirely managed by women artisans, operates in Rajasthan's Shekhawati region. Collaborating with 400 artisans skilled in Bandhani and Shibori tie-and-dye techniques, DISHA aims to boost self-confidence among women. Their efforts involve creating Self Help Groups (SHGs), providing skills training, promoting children's education, and conducting workshops on women's rights. DISHA's artisans produce various textiles using traditional methods like bandhani and shibori, such as sarees, dupattas, and stoles. DISHA focuses on empowering women in Rajasthan's Shekhawati region, grappling with male migration issues and domestic abuse, by providing sustainable livelihoods through skillful craftsmanship.