Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad (Lijjat), is a women’s organisation in India who make and sell poppadoms (flatbreads traditionally eaten with Indian meals).

The full name means ‘women’s house industry’, and today the organisation has 60 branches which together employ 40,000 women throughout India. The group prides itself on bringing socio-economic empowerment to women without using aid of any sort; every poppadom-roller is essentially a self-employed part-owner of the business and is called a sister-member, with a right to vote on business policy. Voting may occur on any issue from savings scheme management through to the organisation’s presidential elections. All of the branches are autonomous, and retain any profits earned themselves.

Membership is not complicated – any woman who can, following training, roll out three kilograms of dough per day into flat round circles is taken on. Workers can choose their own hours of work, and choose not to work when they have other pressing commitments.

On behalf of its members, Lijjat co-ordinates many services including free transport, free eye tests, health education and - perhaps most beneficial of all - literacy programs.

We are proud of being owners. There is nobody to restrict us, we are in control of our own future. Before Lijjat, women didn’t know what life was, they never left home, never achieved anything for themselves.


Jyoti Naik, Lijjat sister-member

I have confidence now. I live only two stations away, but before I was not confident enough to go anywhere on the railway system. Now I know some letters, I can reach home if I get lost.


Saraswati Ghag, Lijjat sister-member