SEWA Bharat’s History in Punjab

SEWA began its work in Punjab 2016, in conjunction with the National Health Mission, leading a capacity building programme of Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) across eleven districts. The MAS are urban slum-based health committees of women leaders responsible for connecting their communities to efficient and effective health solutions. Local women leaders or aagewans were elected among MAS members and they have in turn become extensions of the SEWA unit, serving as a link between the community, the SEWA field organisers and area mobilisers. Since then, SEWA Punjab has been carrying out integrated development activities to uplift and empower informal women workers in six districts.

In line with the SEWA values, SEWA Punjab aims to secure for community members the twin goals of full employment and self-reliance. Various trades have been identified and women encouraged to form trade-groups to strengthen a sense of community and work identity.

Acknowledging its work, Govt of Punjab signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SEWA Punjab in 2017, which got extended again in 2020 for another 3 years, to establish a framework for increased empowerment, social and economic development of women in the state. Till date over 13,500 members have already registered and at least 50,000 more benefited through its programmes. Beneficiaries of SEWA Punjab are women workers of the informal economy, including domestic workers, home-based workers, construction workers and agricultural laborers.

SEWA started work in Punjab in 2016 in conjunction with National Health Mission

Lead capacity building program of Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) across 11 districts

Local women leaders elected among MAS members became extension of SEWA Punjab

SEWA Sangini trained unemployed women and domestic workers as specialized caregivers that in turn uplifted other women through their improved working conditions

Facilitated real-time access to formal financial services in unbanked areas

Provided poor women with financial literacy training

Major Trade Groups

Domestic workers

Home-based workers

Construction workers

Agricultural workers

0+
Grassroots Women Leaders
0+
SEWA Members
0
Women Linked With Social Security Schemes
0+
Health Linkages & Referrals

Our Approach

Community Engagement

Community Involvement

Relationship Building

Udyami

Enabling women microentrepreneurs and women-run collective social enterprises to become resilient beyond COVID-19.

Aagewan Vikas

Capacity building of grassroots women leaders to enhance their organizational capacities and lead the change within communities.

Organizing trade groups

Our members have been mobilised and organised into trade groups based on common occupations and livelihoods. In Punjab we are closely engaging with domestic workers, home based workers, construction workers and agricultural workers.

Read More

Trade meetings are helping them become more aware of their own status and rights as workers. While the agricultural workers trade groups started during the farm laws protests, it will pick up pace as the SEWA Punjab work expands into rural areas. Domestic workers are being identified and organized block-wise areas. They are slowly asserting their demands and entitlements, starting with three leaves per month. On International Domestic Workers’ day, our representatives were involved in taking out rallies, conducting awareness drives and pamphlet distribution highlighting their demands and rights as workers.

Read Less

Major Advocacy initiatives

Domestic violence is a concern among the informal women workers. To address this issue, regular awareness sessions are conducted where a mutual trust is built so that women come out and speak about it.

Read More

In this way we are able to refer them to “One Stop Centres” set up by the Ministry of Women & Child development with an intent to support women affected by violence. We also get in touch with the Station House Officers (SHOs), and the CDPOs wherever required to help these cases.

Read Less

Addressing Community Issues

With the Mahila Arogya Samitis set up, women leaders were identified and enabled through Mohalla groups where they would take up civic issues, like street lights in urban spaces.

Read More

Today our members have been shown the way by their community leaders to identify and settle their own local issues. They are able to write letters to relevant officials, take the initiative to mobilise their sisters and take them along for advocacy meetings, and work on ensuring several concerns being resolved such as managing garbage disposal, sewage and drainage, getting roads cleared, setting up better sanitation provisions and accessing clean water.

Read Less

Capacity Building

The Sangini programme mobilises marginalised women, provides them with specialized training in Elder Care and Child Care services that equips them to earn livelihood with good working conditions in the Tricity area. Till date over 120 sanginis have been skilled.

Read More

The programme currently focuses on training that meets the demand for full time and in-house caregivers in the Tricity. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) in Punjab have been identified that provide courses on candle making, pickle making, stuffed toys making, bag making, etc. We have engaged RSETIs in Moga, Ferozepur and Sanour given the interest of our members.

Read Less

Read more about SEWA’s work in Punjab here.