The vast majority of working women in India are self-employed, operating informally without the social protections and stable incomes that formal employment provides. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, 19.7% of employed women in India are self-employed, 6.8% work as casual labor and only 5.3% hold regular wage or salaried positions. Besides their professional obligations, women often undertake extensive unpaid domestic duties such as cooking, cleaning and childcare. Organizations like the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) play a crucial role in supporting these women by providing resources and advocacy.

SEWA’s Grassroots Support for Self-Employed Women

Founded in 1972 in Ahmedabad, SEWA is one of India’s 12 officially recognized central trade unions. The organization has a membership of 2.9 million. SEWA adopts a grassroots approach, offering microloans, health care, childcare and other benefits to support self-employed women. According to the World Bank, it represents poor women working in India’s informal sector, which constitutes 94% of the Indian workforce.

SEWA’s Philosophy and Operational Strategies

SEWA operates under the Gandhian principles of Ahinsa (nonviolence), Satya (truth), Sarvadharma (inclusivity of all faiths and peoples) and Khadi (promotion of local employment and independence) to achieve its dual goals of full employment and self-reliance. Full employment encompasses complete work, income, food and social security—including health care, insurance, childcare, housing and pensions. SEWA’s 85 composite cooperatives function as localized trade unions empowering women in the informal sector. Additionally, SEWA runs 60 health care centers and a bank with 130,400. Account holders made deposits totaling 454.3 million rupees in 2002. The union also partners with national insurance companies to offer accessible insurance programs, benefitting 11,000 women with 15 million in claims over the decade leading up to 2002.

SEWA’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

SEWA networks have been crucial for supporting informal workers during COVID-19, especially amid harsh lockdowns. Reema Nanavaty, director of SEWA, explained in an interview with the Center for Foreign Relations how SEWA disseminated vital public health information through posters and voice memos to rural communities neglected by government efforts. Leveraging its long-standing initiatives in digital literacy and technology access for impoverished women in urban slums and remote areas, SEWA effectively used digital platforms to spread important health information via social media and WhatsApp. Additionally, SEWA members produced more than 200,000 masks, distributing them to governments, local hospitals and communities.

Despite numerous challenges, self-employed women in India are finding economic empowerment and social uplift through grassroots organizing, collective action and institutionalized labor movements. SEWA exemplifies the significant impact of these ongoing efforts.

Looking Ahead

SEWA’s efforts continue to provide critical support for self-employed women in India, ensuring their access to essential services and resources. By promoting financial inclusion, health care and social security, SEWA empowers these women to achieve greater economic stability and independence. The organization’s proactive response during the COVID-19 pandemic further highlights its vital role. As SEWA expands its initiatives, it remains a beacon of hope for millions of self-employed women across the country.

– Josephine Koch

Josephine is based in New York, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

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