Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) - Empowering Women in India

In 1972, the garment workers formed their own co-operative. They were the first group to be organized under SEWA. By 1977, six other groups - used garment dealers, handcart pullers, vegetable vendors, junk-smiths, milk producers and miscellaneous workers - formed their own cooperatives.

The co-operatives were formed with the share capital provided by the women. Each co-operative was run by a democratically elected executive committee of workers. (Refer Exhibit II for the structure of the co-operatives) Initially, SEWA provided the required capital to the co-operatives, but once they were established, they functioned on their own.

SEWA provided access to easy credit through the savings and credit co-operative, SEWA Bank. SEWA also extended help in providing social security services like housing, childcare and health care facilities. Realising the need to train the members it established the SEWA Academy. With reference to the various activities undertaken by SEWA, Bhatt said, "These organisations invigorate the movement to go ahead and in the process more organisations take birth and take roots. It is like the banyan tree whose branches take roots and grow into independent self-reliant trees throwing out more branches and so on.