SEWA Bharat
SEWA Bharat is a federation of women-led institutions providing economic and social support to women in the informal economy. SEWA Bharat is part of the national SEWA movement and was established in 1984. SEWA Bharat emerged out of the need to address the SEWA movement’s challenges with geographical expansion and coordination. SEWA Bharat is a family of SEWA organizations to further informal women workers’ rights, livelihoods, financial independence, education, health, and social security.
SEWA Bharat’s Role
Strengthen smaller SEWAs
Strengthen smaller SEWAs towards their independence by helping them plan and execute new programs.
Develop new SEWAs
Develop new SEWAs by identifying the potential for setting up new SEWA organizations around India.
Facilitate linkages
Facilitate linkages through experience sharing between existing SEWAs and other NGOs, connecting SEWAs with government programs, and guiding market linkages for informal women worker’s livelihood development.
Build a national identity for SEWA
Build a national identity for SEWA in order to advocate for the rights of women workers across India.
SEWA Bharat’s Goals
We at SEWA organize workers to achieve their goals of full employment and self-reliance through the strategy of struggle and development. The struggle is against many odds and limitations imposed on them by the society and the economy, while development activities strengthen women’s bargaining power and offer them new alternatives which further their self-reliance. Practically, the strategy is carried out through the joint action of unions and cooperatives.
Full employment refers to work that provides economic security, food security and social security.
Self-reliance aims to support women towards being autonomous and self-reliant both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability. Self-reliance is the basis of sustainability that is essential at the individual level and also for SEWA’s women’s collectives, organizations, and cooperatives.