Shakti.ism is a social enterprise empowers and employs women from marginalised communities in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, especially those at risk of being impacted by gender-based violence.

We partner with existing grassroots NGOs in India which work with disadvantaged women in marginalised communities. We focus on marketing their existing skills, of which they have many.  The idea is to preserve their skills and traditions, sell their beautiful creations and empower them to become self-sustainable, have ownership of their earnings, and maintain their independence.

We make it possible for disadvantaged women to gain employable and transferable skills, give them the chance to earn a fair living wage and not rely solely on the income of males, we provide fair working conditions, safe supportive spaces, and we support and encourage entrepreneurship to break the cycle of poverty.

The women create products using upcycled materials, which are then sold by Shakti.ism. As a true (nonprofit) social business, profits are invested back into the makers and their communities to ensure good working conditions are maintained, to allow for additional training, education and benefits, and to allow more women to take part in the programme. We hope to include more women and expand to other countries upon positive impact.

We use locally sourced traditional fabrics which would otherwise be thrown away for the products which will be created (for example, upcycling secondhand traditional Indian saris to create bags and other products). 

Follow along on our journey to empower disadvantaged women in India at https://instagram.com/shakti.ism

Shakti.ism CIC | शक्तिवाद

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