Self Employed Women's Association

For #SEWA’s founder Ela Bhatt, the words, Women, work and peace always came in tandem. She strongly believed that being non-violent in day-to-day affairs is as good as going out to build peace where it doesn’t exist. Because Peace cannot co-exist with Poverty. At SEWA, we strive to build peace through poverty eradication. In her book “Women, Work and Peace”, a collection of selected speeches Ela Bhatt, she acknowledges the Niwano Peace prize awarded to her in 2010 as a validation of SEWA’s Gandhian, non-violent ways of promoting peace through women’s economic empowerment. DM us to read more of Ela Bhatt’s thoughts, speeches and SEWA philosophy in her own words

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻!! Over 48% of the women workers in India are rural. Majority of these women are the poorest of the poor. From limited access to healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities to disproportionate impacts of climate change, they bear the brunt of systemic inequalities. Their labour, often unrecognized and undervalued, keeps families and communities afloat. Despite these obstacles, #SEWA's experience has shown that these women are the backbone of our #ruraleconomies, nurturing the land, their families, and future generations. They continue to persevere, #organizing themselves to create sustainable livelihoods, access basic services, and fight for their rights and dignity. Their resilience is a testament to their strength and their essential role in shaping a better future for all. This #InternationalRuralWomensDay, SEWA honours the strength, resilience, and unwavering spirit of these rural women. We celebrate their determination to uplift themselves and their communities. Swipe through to get a glimpse of these unsung heroes... who remind us everyday remind us every day that true progress is only possible when no one is left behind!!!

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲: 𝐒𝐄𝐖𝐀'𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲!! SEWA’s founder Ela Bhatt always said... “Poverty is the worst form of violence perpetuated by the consent of the society”. She always believed that #poverty is more than just a lack of money. It is a profound lack of justice, a lack of opportunity, and a lack of voice. These are not accidental failures but systemic wrongs deeply embedded in our laws, our economic structures, and even our societal norms. Therefore, at #SEWA, we organize poor informal sector women workers to build their collective strength and bargaining power, to enable them to achieve work, income food and social security… to build their capacity to enter and stand firm in the mainstream economy… thereby enabling them to dismantle these invisible chains that choke the human spirit. “Organizing with SEWA and coming together with thousands of waste recyclers like me, helped bring voice to my challenges… it helped me get a safe and dignified working place in local Govt. run Material Recovery Facility” says Ashaben, a waste recycler member from Abad city. Her story reflects that the lone waste recycler on the dumpsite, who faces overwhelming odds and unsafe working conditions, doesn't lack ability or determination—she lacks the collective bargaining power that should be her right. She lacks the support of a society that too often looks past her. At SEWA, we come together as poor, as women and as workers to fight poverty… equipping and enabling women like Ashaben in their fight against poverty. We work towards #Organizing, #Capacitybuilding and Building Collectives and Economic enterprises, owned and managed by poor women themselves… thereby creating an enabling environment for these women to become self-reliant. We nurture solidarity because we know that no one can fight these battles alone. We understand that #Womenempowerment is not a gift to be bestowed but a right to be claimed. Through this joint approach of struggle and development, SEWA’s members have found their voices, and with these voices, they are changing their world. They have shown that when the poor, particularly women, are empowered to stand tall and speak for themselves, they break the chains of poverty. They create opportunities not only for themselves but for future generations. This is the vision of SEWA, and this is the change we worked for and continue working for—a change rooted in the Collective, Organized Strength of Women.

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔’𝘀 "𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱" 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲!! More than 93% of India's workforce is employed in the #informaleconomy, with women workers and small farmers being the poorest of poor among these. The increasingly frequent and intense climate shocks such as the heatwaves and excessive rains, disproportionately impact these women, jeopardizing both livelihoods and safety, stripping them of income and deepening poverty, leaving them more exposed to future adversities. #SEWA has long understood that building long-term livelihood resilience is essential to safeguard these women from falling into debt traps triggered by cumulative and recurrent environmental disasters and hence as a part of its #BuildingCleanerSkies campaign, has piloted the Livelihood Recovery and Resilience Fund (#LRRF), a pool of blended finance which not only provides immediate relief in face of a disaster but also enables women to rebuild and recover, not just financially, but with climate adaptation in mind. In a recent Climate Shock, the state of Gujarat was affected by excessively heavy rain and resulting flash floods in several rural areas. SEWA's grassroots sisters through their deep and decentralised network immediately assessed the impact. The Livelihood Recovery and Resilience Fund integrated climate action into recovery efforts. Within 15 days of the shock, over 10,000 poor rural women were offered a choice of recovery packages: a cash benefit, RUDI kits with essential food, tarpaulin sheets for roof repair, health insurance to cover potential post-flood epidemics, or assistance for cattle fodder. This recovery aid was designed to address both immediate needs and long-term climate resilience. Rather than viewing these recovery packages as charity, SEWA views them as a path to resilience. The support provided, whether in cash or kind, is a returnable advance—women pay back into the fund once their incomes are restored. This creates a self-sustaining ecosystem where women can rebuild and future-proof their livelihoods. Come join us in #buildingClimateResilience of poor women workers by blending financial inclusion, capacity building, climate action, and risk-sharing thereby enabling women’s empowerment and resilience to stand firm against climate shocks and economic volatility.

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 !! Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, poor women workers from #informaleconomy face disproportionate impacts from climate shocks – especially the extreme climate events like #Heatwaves and excess rainfalls that devastate their livelihoods, health, and food security. Recognizing this disparity, #SEWA has piloted an innovative parametric climate insurance program as a part of its #buildingcleanerskies campaign, to safeguards these vulnerable workers. by providing vital support to workers facing the brunt of climate shocks. Unlike traditional programs, this insurance model activates payouts based on predefined weather conditions rather than actual loss assessments. Initially piloted in 2023 covering 21,000 members across five districts in Gujarat, the program was expanded in 2024 to include 50,000 members across 22 districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. In a recent collaborative effort - "Brainstorming Session on Developing and Upscaling Innovative Parametric Insurance Solutions.", the National Disaster Mitigation Authority (NDMA) brought together multiple stakeholders, including civil society organizations like #SEWA and several insurance companies, to refine and expand such innovative insurance solutions tailored to enable timely and adequate financial protection to the workers of the unorganized sector against natural disasters. The discussions began with SEWA sharing its learnings and experiences from the program and highlighted the nascent but growing market for parametric disaster risk insurance in India, that shows promise primarily due to partnership between state governments and civil society. Challenges such as scalability, premium payment sources, and integration with other innovative financial products like indexed loans were discussed. The dialogue emphasized the necessity of multi-stakeholder support and innovative thinking to develop diverse, sustainable, affordable, and effective insurance models customized to address the unique needs of the unorganized sector. The roundtable discussion is a crucial step towards #BuildingClimateResilience for informal workers. It is a testament to SEWA’s commitment to empowering and protecting informal workers through #collectivestrength and innovative solutions. This approach not only aids in immediate financial recovery but also contributes to long-term climate resilience, ensuring that for these communities, resilience against climate shocks becomes a tangible reality.

𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!! "Climate shocks are increasing, affecting our daily lives. But it was through SEWA’s rally in our village that we learned how our small actions can contribute to climate action. It wasn’t hard; we're farmers after all. #sewa provided the seeds, and now my backyard garden flourishes with vegetables. It beautifies my home, gives us fresh vegetables, and I contribute to #climateaction ” shares Miraben Vaghela from Chekhala village in Ahmedabad. Miraben’s story resonates with that of 45 other poor grassroots women from villages like Chekhala and Chandranagar in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat who have transformed their backyards into thriving kitchen gardens, growing vegetables such as bitter gourd, ridge gourd, and green chilies. This movement towards sustainability is not just about cultivating gardens but nurturing a resilient community prepared to face climate challenges. It is a testament to the power of collective action led by poor women catalyzed by SEWA’s #buildingcleanerskies campaign. Through the campaign, SEWA focuses on building communities awareness and education on climate change but more importantly on women led climate action and facilitates members with access to simple solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. Promoting kitchen gardens is one such solution that not only strengthens women’s climate action but also helps increase green cover around homes thereby reducing heat stress experienced by households during heatwaves significantly and ensures food security through access to fresh vegetables during heatwaves and excess rains when poor women’s income dwindles making them unable to afford nutritious food. Thus it not only leads to #buildingclimateresilience but also strengthens Women’s climate action. Join us in applauding these grassroots women who are not only enhancing their environments but also paving the way for a sustainable future. Their small Kitchen Gardens are a beacon of hope, demonstrating how grassroots efforts can lead to significant environmental change.

𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 !! For over five decades, SEWA has been pivotal in transforming the lives of women in the informal sector by addressing a critical bottleneck: lack of access to work and income security. By organizing women and creating awareness and education, SEWA has enabled countless women to not only understand their trades better but also integrate into the mainstream economy more effectively. In rural Gujarat's Punasan village, Puriben Chaudhary's journey exemplifies this. When SEWA began organizing women in Mehsana district in 1985, it identified crucial barriers like inadequate access to fodder and finance - that hindered women's full employment and self-reliance. To combat this, SEWA educated members on sustainable agriculture, the importance of savings, and leveraging government schemes to strengthen their livelihoods. Puriben, initially unaware of the power of financial products, was introduced to SEWA’s savings groups. "Being a poor illiterate housewife, I thought savings were not meant for people like me. SEWA changed that perception," reflects Puriben. She began saving monthly, a small yet significant step towards financial empowerment. Puriben’s involvement deepened as she attended SEWA’s training sessions, learning about sustainable practices like vermicompost and bio-pesticides. These practices not only improved her crop quality but also provided fodder for her cattle, addressing her immediate need for sustainable animal husbandry. Faced with the challenge of storing fodder, Puriben shared the same at SEWA's trade committee meeting and in-turn got training on various government schemes and subsidies related to Animal husbandry. Tapping the learning, she not only secured a 50% subsidy for a fodder shed but also generated an asset in her name, an uncommon achievement in her community. "This shed saved me over INR 90,000 annually. It's not just a storage unit; it's a testament to my independence," says Puriben proudly. Moreover, with facilitation support from SEWA, she also accessed scheme for free cattle feed, which increased the fat content in her cattle’s milk, enhancing her income significantly. "It reduced my expenses and increased my income by 30%, transforming my life and that of my family," she adds. Puriben's story is a testament to how SEWA’s holistic approach of organizing, training, and awareness not only strengthens women's economic positions but also empowers them to make informed decisions. At SEWA, we believe in strengthening our members by connecting them with existing government schemes and fostering an environment where they can learn from each other, overcome challenges, and thrive. Puriben's journey from a housewife to an empowered farmer and entrepreneur underscores the transformative power of collective action and targeted support. #SEWA #WomenEmpowerment #dusriazaadi