Manimekala creates fashion that empowers all women. That includes the women who create our designs, as well as the women who wear them.

One of our partners is Saheli Women, a women’s collective and ethical fashion enterprise located in the desert village of Bhikamkor, Rajasthan in northern India. Started 5 years ago by an ambitious local social worker called Madhu, Saheli Women now employs over 35 village women, empowering them and supporting their families. Here are their stories, in their own words.

We share these stories and photos of the ladies with their permission. We thank them for generously opening up their lives to us.