Left:Ela
R. Bhatt (VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO INTERVIEW BELOW)))
In
1972, Ela R. Bhatt founded the Self Employed Women’s Association or SEWA in
Ahmedabad, India, now a 300,000 member strong women's cooperative. Through SEWA, many poor women who make up more than 90% of the unprotected
Indian labor force as house cleaners, street vendors, and field workers with no laws to protect them against
their corrupt unofficial ‘middlemen’
bosses, have joined together to become a powerful unified voice demanding basic rights
that people with jobs in the ‘formal’ sector enjoy.
Below: women at
SEWA Bank
Thirty years ago, Mrs. Bhatt says she recognized this exploitation of poor women and used her experience as a lawyer and position as head of the women’s wing of India’s first trade union, the Textile Labor Association, to encourage 4,000 other women to join her and contribute a portion of their earnings to create the cornerstone of SEWA, its bank. In the past three decades, the SEWA bank has helped countless numbers of poor self employed women have access to basic job rights such as health insurance, life insurance, bank accounts, and has enabled them to become home owners by providing low interest housing loans.
“I’m a great believer in organization; those who are weak have to come together to generate strength. Now these women have their own bank balances, land in their own name, they have access to insurance,” says Mrs. Bhatt. “Almost thirty years ago they were half starving,”
Mrs. Bhatt has also made supporting poor artisans a priority and rented a house near SEWA's office in Ahmedabad where the women can make and sell their crafts. This SEWA addition has been particularly important since it has provided employment for many women who lost many of their family members and friends during last year's earthquake that devastated Ahmedabad. ***(go to www.banascraft.org or www.kutchcraft.org to view/purchase crafts).
SEWA is a confluence of three 1960's movements: the labor movement, the cooperative movement and the women’s movement. Mrs. Bhatt, who is married and has two children and three grandchildren, also says she was very much inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, the great leader who helped free India from British rule through nonviolence and who was also a huge supporter of women and worker rights, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
Today, there are SEWA branches in South Africa, whose members are almost all underprivileged black South African women, and Turkey.
In her own words: Ela R. Bhatt Video Interview (click on 'ANSWER' to view Video: please note you must download RealPlayer to view) at her home in Ahmedabad, India.
SistersGeographic: You said Mahatma Gandhi was one of the people who inspired you to start SEWA -particularly with his notion of the “two freedoms”; can you explain what these are and why they are significant? ANSWER
SistersGeographic:What are the main things you are focusing on now at SEWA to empower women?? ANSWER
SistersGeographic: Following up on the previous question—why?? ANSWER
SistersGeographic: How does SEWA deal or help with issues like domestic violence—an issue that affects all women?? ANSWER
SistersGeographic: What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing women in India today? ANSWER