Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)

•By a PPM group at MDI

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INTRODUCTIONSelf Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)

is a National Trade Union, established by Ms. Ela R. Bhatt in 1972

It is a confluence of three movements Labour movement Co-operative movement Women’s movement

INTRODUCTION CONTD..

It is a member-based movement of about 19,00,000 poor, informal sector women workers of India.

SEWA works in 13 states of India

2/3rd of SEWA members live in rural areas

Members represent more than 125 different kind of trades

More than 94% of female workers are in the unorganized sector and their work remains invisible

RATIONALE FOR FORMAITON

SEWA grew out of the Textile Labour Association founded in 1920 by a women, Anasuya Sarabhai

Its original purpose was to assist women belonging to households of mill workers

By 1968, classes in sewing, kniting embroidery etc were established in centers throughout Ahmedabad city for wives and daughters of mill workers

In 1971 SEWA was born as a Trade Union with the efforts of Ela Bhatt, and the president of the TLA, Arvind Buch

IMPETUS FOR FORMATIONINTERNAL : The women were from weaker

sections and there was no social , health , financial security to them.

EXTERNAL : Exploitation by the contractors , employers lead to the consolidation of the women workers under the leadership of Ms. Ela Bhatt.

ROLE OF LEADERSHIP

The SEWA was separated from TLA on some conflicting on reservations related issues

After the separation from TLA, SEWA grew even faster and started new initiatives. In particular, the growth of many new co-operatives, a more militant trade union and many supportive services has given SEWA a new shape and direction.

Leadership has defined the organization’s vision, established management and behavioral practices that reduced social distance between corporate management and grassroots members

Moreover, effective leadership skills learned by poor and uneducated women

MANDATE SEWA is need based and demand driven organization. It identifies the needs and issues of the communities and link them

up with government programmes & schemes rather than creating parallel programmes, this helps in leveraging government resources

Additionally, provision of need based and demand driven services like banking, insurance and health care etc led to expansion and growth of the organization

SEWA’s founder, Ela Bhatt, realized that self-employed women were in particularly precarious social and economic conditions because they were largely illiterate, unaware of their rights, and were often harassed and exploited by authorities and contractors.

Self-employed women from diverse backgrounds were organized “not against anyone”, but “for themselves” , to use their collective strength to attain social justice and improve their conditions of work and life

ROLE ASSIGNED TO THE CO-OPERATIVE More than 100 cooperatives help women improve the marketing,

quality, and design of the handicraft and woven items to ensure consistency, timely delivery, and salability. Cooperatives also promote new agricultural products, and techniques that add value to traditional products. Other cooperatives include a rural marketing organization and a Trade Facilitation Center.

Facilitating their access to social security and social protection through social service organizations

Advocacting better social protection and labour standards for them at the macro-level

Building their capacity through formal education and professional training

It has also been a lead advocate for government policies such as the 2004 “National Policy for Urban Street Vendors”, and the “Unorganized Workers Social Security Act” adopted in 2008

SEWA : A SOCIAL MOVEMENT

FACTORS CONTRIBUTED FOR SCALING UP

Need-based and Demand Driven ApproachIdentifies the needs and issues of the communities and link them up with government programmes & schemes rather than creating parallel programmes. services like banking, insurance and health care led to expansion and growth of the organisation

Turning disasters into a development opportunity

Expectation of the Government/ Funding agenciesSEWA started its operations following government invitation during the drought/rehabilitating the affected familiesWorld bank expectation in case of Grass Root Immersion Programme

FACTORS CONTRIBUTED FOR SCALING UP CONTD…

Demand from similar institutions in India and AbroadSEWA provides trainings and exposure visits to the other organisations working at the grass root level in India and abroad such as KGVK, Ranchi, training to Afghanistan team, etc

One success leads to another

Emerging local/ global marketing opportunitiesIncreased marketing opportunities for the products produced by the members. SEWA Gram Mahila Haat (SGMH)and SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC) were set-up to provide marketing linkages to the members

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LESSONS FOR INSTITUTINAL VAIBILITY AND SUCCESS

Empower through organizingEncourage a demand-driven and need-based approachAim for comprehensive goalsPromote ownershipEnsure self-reliance and sustainabilityMaintain strong organizational valuesLearn from experiencesDevelop a flexible structure

NOVEL FEATURES OF THE DESIGNDemocratic procedures , formal election and

governance and based on Gandhian principles.Take care of both Urban and Rural needs and

struggle for fair treatment and access to justice, to markets, and to services. Urban branch - focused on upgrading skills in

changing markets and seeking better wages and benefits.

Rural branch - targets alternative employment creation including handicrafts and some high value crops, reversing a trend toward declining agricultural wages etc.

Emphasis on creating Grassroot Organizations : for eg. Kutchcraft Association and Sabarkantha Women Farmer’s Association etc.

Fostering livelihood security - 4 major rural livelihood initiatives : Artisans Support Programme , Weavers Support Programme, Salt Farming and Agriculture – access of MNREGA scheme .

Market Linkages : SEWA-owned retail outlets in bigger cities, like BDMSA, Banascraft and Kutchcraft , SEWA Gram Mahila Haat (SGMH) etc.

SEWA Bank – Microcredit financing to members.

NOVEL FEATURES OF THE DESIGN CONTD..

Member-based organizations help ensure ownership and that activities are based on member demands/needs.

Values at the core of an organization Flexibility in an organization’s style- encourages

experimentation and learning, ability to recognize crises as opportunities.

Participatory management and behavioral practices that close the social distance between members and managers.

SEWA is by constitution and registration a trade union, it is required to file audited annual accounts and the proceedings of its annual general meeting with the Government Registrar.

NOVEL FEATURES OF THE DESIGN CONTD..

FACTORS THAT MAY LED TO ITS DECLINE Financial viability of various cooperatives and member

services SEWA is engaging in new activities like insurance Large member numbers may challenge maintaining the flat

structure that today ensures participation at the grass roots Conflicting oversight and reporting requirements imposed

by different donors become a major burden? Will it be possible to avoid political entanglements ? Fierce competition from other NGOs / SHG in other states.

FUTURE STRATEGY AND CONCLUSION

Foreseen Challenges : Transition to a new period of leadership and membership

adjusting to the needs of a more literate, educated, aware and ambitious generation of self-employed women members

Financial Viability and reliance on donor funds

SEWA’s new priorities : Expanding membership to conflict affected areas Strengthening rural banking – Rural Micro finance and

capital formation for rural workers Promoting “green” jobs and livelihoods - Haryali attaining

a membership of 2.5 million self-employed women

THANK YOU

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