08-10-2006 1
SEWACreating Women Entrepreneurs
By: Deepika Rao (49)Dennis Koshy (50)Dinu Chacko (51)
Ekata Phal Desai (53)Esha Verma (54)Fahd Malik (55)
Jairam P.
Governance and Membership
SEWA-Introduction
The SEWA Tree
Agenda
SEWA support services
Methodology to monitor success
SEWA Campaigns
Bare FactsImportance of the Informal
Sectoro 93 percent of India’s
workforce comes from the informal sector
o 60 percent of the informal sector workforce comprises of women
o 40 percent of India's exports emanate from the informal sector
o Upto 70% of India’s National Income is contributed by the informal sector
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
Ela Bhatt
Founder of SEWA
Seeds of Inception, Growth and the Journey…
o Ela was the head of Women’s Wing of Textile Labour Association.
o Ela was aware that thousands of wives and daughters of textile workers toiled to supplement the family income.
o No state laws protected these self-employed women.
o Self-employed women were not even included in the 1971 census as workers!
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
o Self-employed women were unorganized, unprotected, economically weak and had no bargaining power.
o Ela determined to work for this segment of the population which had a great impact on the economy yet which was virtually forgotten in terms of legal rights or protection of interests.
o Ela, with TLA president Arvind Buch, founded south Asia’s first labour and trade union for women workers in the informal sector.
o The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) was formed in 1972 in Ahmedabad.
SEWA – the OrganizationWhat is SEWA now?o An organization of poor, self-employed women workers, who
earn a living through their own labour or small businesses.o They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare
benefits like workers in the organized sector.o They are the unprotected labour force of our country.o A confluence of three movements
• Labour movement
• Co-operative movement
• Women’s movement
Goals of SEWAo Full Employmento Self Reliance of women
o A “social entrepreneurship venture”
o Caters to a section of society which has not been served
o Solving social problems
o Primary purpose is to make an impact
o Profitable = self-reliant, self monitoring
o Wealth creation for the society
SEWA is…
Ela ‘s Visiono According to Ela, values are most important to be
instilled from childhood.o Transparency, non-violence, equality and
communal harmony are very important.o Gandhian thinking is the guiding force for SEWA’s
poor, self-employed members in organizing for social change.
o They follow the principles of satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), sarvadharma (integrating all faiths, all people) and khadi (propagation of local employment and self reliance).
More Notable Leaders in SEWAo SEWA attracted many highly qualified women:
• Mirai Chatterjee, a Masters in public health from John Hopkins University.
• Reema Nanavaty, a former IAS officer.• Jayashree Vyas, former banker with Central Bank.
o They played – and continue to play - a crucial role in SEWA’s activities and management.
o However, 80% of SEWA’s Executive Committee consists of self-employed women, and takes decisions in a democratic manner.
SEWA - Governanceo Each SEWA member is a member of a trade group which
provide the foundation for SEWA’s governance arrangements.
o Every three years, the membership of each trade group elects its own trade committee (one for each 400 members of the trade group) to be their Trade Representatives.
o The Trade Representatives become members of the Council of Representatives, SEWA’s main source of authority and governance.
o The Council then elects 25 of its members to an Executive Committee which in turn elects 7 of its members to serve as Officers (a President, 3 Vice Presidents, a General Secretary and 2 Secretaries).
Self-employed workersSelf-employed workers
Hawkers, vendors, small business women
like vegetable, fruit, fish, egg and
other vendors of food items
Hawkers, vendors, small business women
like vegetable, fruit, fish, egg and
other vendors of food items
Home-based workers like weavers,
potters, bidi and agarbatti
workers, papad rollers,
ready-made garment workers
Home-based workers like weavers,
potters, bidi and agarbatti
workers, papad rollers,
ready-made garment workers
Manual laborers & service providers
like construction workers,
contract laborers, handcart pullers
Manual laborers & service providers
like construction workers,
contract laborers, handcart pullers
Membership
Agricultural workersAgricultural workers
SEWA-Growth
o Rural Initiative started in 1989 and now 2/3 of SEWA’s membership is rural
o All India Membership - 12,56,944
o Gujarat Membership - 6,31,345
08-10-2006 1
The SEWA Tree - A Women's Support
Network
Union
•Social Security •Implementation & enforcement •Protective Legislation •Policy Support
Cooperatives
SEWA
•Markets •Raw materials •Skills & Management •Training •Contracts
Banks
•Savings •Credit •Life insurance •Mortgage recovery
and asset titles
•Child care •Training •Communications •Legal Aid
Services
Vendor Cooperatives:Kerosene vendorsVegetable suppliersFish vendors
Artisans Coops.:WeaversBamboo workersBlock printersPatchworkersEmbroiderers
Service Coops.Child care providersIndustrial cleanersWastepaper collectorsCommunity health workers
Land & Animal CoopsWasteland and agro-forestryDiaryTree growers
Group ralliesEstablishing nexusNegotiationsLobbyingSocial securityProtestsIdentity cardsCount cases
Trade Groups
Garment stitchesBidi rollersHead loadersCart pullersUsed garment dealersVendorsDomestic workersIncense workersScrap collectorsConstruction workersPapad rollersCarpentersSmithsAgricultural LabourersTobacco processorsFuel traders Source: Kalima Rose:" Where Women are Leaders"
SEWA Support Services
SEWA SEWA Support ServicesSupport Services
CapacityCapacity BuildingBuilding Health careHealth care
Video SEWAVideo SEWA
HousingHousingInfrastructureInfrastructure
Child careChild care
Legal Services Legal Services
Work SecurityWork Security InsuranceInsurance
SEWA BANKSEWA BANK
SEWA BANKo The financial services arm of SEWAo Established in 1974 at the initiative of 4,000 self-
employed women who contributed share capital of Rs. 10 each
o Today a fully regulated cooperative bank with more than 250,000 members
o Offers its members a wide range of savings, credit and insurance products.
o Though, a majority of its loans are unsecured, it enjoys a repayment rate of more than 96%.
o The bank provides loans to its members on market rates, with a three year repayment period, for productive purposes
o Now piloting a fourth area of service – financial education
Objectives of SEWA Bank
Rationale- SEWA Bank wants to help its members to be pro-active and forward-looking, to be able to plan and utilize financial services for a more secure and comfortable future.
Recognize/understand in detail financial problems of self-
employed women
Design procedures and adopt mechanisms which are suitable
to them
Adopt methods of operation through which they can come
out of these financial problems
Objectives
Challenges faced…Indebtedness
(paying high rate of interest)
Borrowed working capital (paying high
rate of interest )
Hired equipment (paying rent on
equipment)
Low income level Assetlessness
Lack of financial planning
SEWA Health Care
SEWA SEWA HealthcareHealthcareApproachApproach
SEWA SEWA HealthcareHealthcareApproachApproach
Health education
Immunizations
Sanitation activities
Family Planning
Educational Healthcare
Injuries, suicide, cancer, ulcers
Promotion of low cost traditional medicines & health centers
SEWA Health- Main Featureso SEWA Health operates as a cooperative consisting of
midwives and heath workers-cum-educatorso Provides curative care, preventive healthcare, promotes
health awareness to women workers and their family. o SEWA's team of mid-wives and health workers serve as
health educators-cum-barefoot doctors for women workers
o Capacity-building of local women especially traditional midwives, so that they become the barefoot doctors of their communities/villages - emphasising self reliance
o Women - centered health care led by local women, including occupational health, reproductive health, maternal health, mental health and nutrition.
o Linking health services to insurance, provision of basic amenities like sanitation literacy and other developmental programmes.
Healthcare Impacto An increase in health awareness among women
and their families including alcohol and "gutkha”.
o SEWA's services resulted in • no maternal deaths reported• no measles deaths in children• 65% reported savings due to the low cost drug
distribution system
o One of SEWA’s most popular health initiatives is the sale of medicines at low cost in medical shops at major hospitals in Ahmadabad.
Child Care at SEWA
o ChildCare Centers take care of the children, during the working hours for the working women.
o SEWA operates 73 such centerso Centers provide healthcare, basic education,
meal for the children, and counseling to mothers
SEWA Childcare through Cooperatives & Local Organisations:
o Sangini Child Care Workers' Cooperative, Ahmedabad - Running centres for infants and young children.
Child Care at SEWA
o Shaishav Child Care Workers' Cooperatives, Kheda district - Running centres for 0 to 6 year old children of tobacco workers and agricultural labourers.
o The Balvikas mandal and local organisation, Surendranagar district - Run Child Care centres for children of salt workers. It is running Balvadis (day care centre) in villages bordering the desert, the little Rann of Kutch and in the desert itself alongside the saltpans.
o The Banaskantha DWCRA Mahila Sewa Association (BDMSA), Banaskantha district - Running centres for rural workers' involved in agriculture, dairying, land-based activities like nurseries, gum-collectors and embroidery.
SEWA’s Work Security Scheme
o VimoSEWA is an integrated insurance program o Aim-To provide social security to members,
covering their life cycle needs and the various risks they face in their lives (death, illness, accident, ‘asset loss’, etc.).
o It operates as a cooperative, and offers the services through SEWA Bank. During 2003, it offered insurance to around 1.1lac members
Life natural and accidental death
Health
Widowhood (optional )coverage of husbandin case of natural & accidental death
Flood, Fire, communal riots
Maternity Benefits
Type of CoverageType of Coverage(Premium ,(Premium ,
Amount Paid)Amount Paid)
SEWA’s Work Security Scheme
SEWA Academy
Brings out the two SEWA newsletters,
“Anusooya” and “Akashganga”
Brings out the two SEWA newsletters,
“Anusooya” and “Akashganga”
Training in vocational skills and capability
building to the members
Training in vocational skills and capability
building to the members
Conducts research on issues related to
self-employed women workers
Conducts research on issues related to
self-employed women workers
Capacity Building
Housing and Infrastructure
o Gujarat Mahila Housing SEWA Trust provides loans to members to build and repair their houses.
o The Trust understands that the house for the home-based workers is also a production unit, and helps them also with their work-related needs.
o It also works along with civic authorities to get electricity, water, sanitation, etc., to workers’ localities.
Legal Services
o SEWA’s Legal Cell helps the members by providing legal protection, negotiating with employers, advocating policy changes, educating members about their legal rights and responsibilities.
o In addition, SEWA runs a legal advisory centre which accepts cases and complaints lodged by members.
Video SEWA
o Is a separate unit of the Academy that uses the medium and technology to take up issues of self-employed women to national and international level.
o Video SEWA has registered itself as a cooperative specializing in communication. In this way it can both expand rapidly, market its video tapes and move towards self reliance.
SEWA – Campaignso Home-based Workers' Campaigno Vendors Campaigno Forest Workers' Campaigno Construction Workers' Campaigno The Water Campaigno Food Security Campaigno Campaign for our Right to Child Careo Campaign for Recognition of Midwiveso Clean Ahmedabad Campaigno Minimum Wages Campaigno Campaign for Recognition of Unorganised Sector
workers
Some Success Stories...
o Manek Chowk• systematic campaign to remove the vendors
from the city by police and municipal corp.• SEWA struggling long and hard for vendors• appeal to Supreme Court
o Sabina, The Garment Stichers• Sabina Patch workers cooperative • SEWA organised the quilt makers when they
were refused work• alternative khol production unit – self-reliant
women
Conclusion - Is SEWA successful??
Methodology to monitor the success of its work and general direction1. Have our members obtained more employment from
our efforts?2. Has their income increased?3. Have they obtained food and nutrition?4. Have their health been safeguarded?5. Have they obtained child-care?6. Have they obtained shelter?7. Have their assets increased? 8. Have the workers organisation been strengthened?9. Has workers leadership increased?10. Have they become self-reliant, both collectively and
individually?11. Are more members educated?
Sunita,Bangle Worker
Maithri, Bidi Worker
Shobha,Vegetable
Vendor
Santokh,Iron Picker
Kamla,Readyma
deGarmentMaker
Geeta,Agarbatti
Worker
Women Entrepreneurs…Living with pride…Building the nation…
Recommended
