Self Employed Women

1
Sustainable Production, Work Conditions and
Equitable Distribution By
Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA)
2
Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA)

• Established in 1972 by Shri Elaben Bhatt
• Over 1 million poor, self employed women as
  members
• Largest recognized national level union of
  informal sector workers
• Confluence of three movements
• Trade Union Movement
• Labour movement
• Womens movement

3
Organise women workers to achieve full employment
i.e. work security, income security and social
secrity
Self Reliance individually and collectively
economically independent and capable of making
their own decisions
4
Home Based Workers working from their homes for
a trader, contractor, are own account, piece
rate workers
Vendors or Hawkers who invest their labour in
vending and earn their living
MEMBERS
PROFILE
Manual labourers and service providers like
agricultural labourers, construction workers,
contract labourers, handcart pullers,
head-loaders, domestic workers and laundry workers
Producers who invest their labour, skill and
resources and take the risk of production and
marketing to earn their living
5
SEWA -Integrated Approach

• Organizing
• Collective organized strength through their
  associations to actively participate in the
  planning, implementation and monitoring processes
  of the programmes meant for them and also in all
  other affairs of the nation
• Social Security
• At least health care, child care, shelter and
  relief- to combat the chronic risks faced by them
  and their families

• Capacity Building
• To stand firm in the competitive markets i.e
  access to infrastructure, technology,
  information, education, knowledge, and relevant
  skills.
• Capital Formation
• At the household level through access to
  financial services to build and create assets of
  their own. Assets ownership is the surest weapon
  to fight vulnerability to poverty

Members become owners and managers of their own
trade.
6
RUDI An Example of SEWAs Effort For
Sustainable Production, Work conditions and
Equitable Distribution

• Initiated by SEWA Gram Mahila Haat
• Serves Rural community Producers and Consumers
• Aims at poverty alleviation through rural
  Entrepreneurship, Procurement, Packaging and
  Marketing of food grains at the local level
• Development of Village through their own
  resources
• Integrated Value Chain
• To enhance the earning of agriculture activities
• Create multiple opportunities
• Provide regular and affordable supply of
  Agriculture products to the rural members
• RUDI Supply chain

7
Family of Organisations

• SEWAs integrated network of organizations
  supports every sphere of a members life.
• SEWA Bank - cooperative bank for women workers
  which pumps Rs. 10 million each day into hands of
  the poorest women workers in the city of
  Ahmedabad 2 lac depositors working capital of
  Rs. 900 million
• SEWA has built a federation of 110 cooperatives
  of 20000 workers providing services and making
  products.
• SEWA Academy fights illiteracy and educates the
  women workers of the informal economy as workers,
  as women, as citizens and as agents of social
  change 30000 women a year
• SEWA Social Security Reaching Health Care and
  Child care to 200000 members
• SEWA Insurance Covers 130000 members
• SEWA Housing Infrastructure 40000 members
  given services
• At district level, SEWA has built 11 associations
  that provide economic and social support services
  to poor women workers.
• SEWA Marketing Company to combat market risks
  and its own trade facilitation Centre to fight
  against trade related risks - Reaching 40,000
  producers
• RUDI Multi Trading Company - Market linkages for
  Agriculture Producers
• SEWAs Green Livelihood activities Climate
  Mitigation and related activities
• SEWA Managers School Managerial Capacity
  Building of its members

• From 1200 in 1972 to 700000 members in 2004
  spread in 14 districts of Gujarat and 7 states of
  India
• From a union in 1972 to now 18 economic
  institutions including global trade facilitation
  center RUDI Multi Trading Company

8
LAND AND LIVELIHOOD MAJOR ISSUES

• Majority of SEWA members livelihood is
  dependant on land eg.
• Vendors, Small and Marginal Farmers Agriculture
  workers, Salt workers, Home based workers etc.
• Issues faced in context of land and livelihood
• Lack of allotted space for vending
• Urbanisation and Development schemes are not
  inclusive of the workers of the informal sector
• Increased acquisition of farm lands by companies
• Setting up of Industrial factories on
  agricultural lands
• Rehabilitation / Resettlement does not get enough
  importance
• No Proper Compensation to the poor for the land
  acquired
• At times companies acquire land illegally leaving
  the farmers with no option i.e forced to either
  accept the compensation or lose their land

9
SALE OF LAND AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

• Poor are Forced to Sell Land ..
• Cost involved in agriculture inputs, low yield,
  frequent failures in crop, Irregular rainfall,
  changing climatic situations etc.
• Lack of proper legal documents (dastavej) for
  built property and farms both - laws pertaining
  to land and property matters, requirement of
  legal documents etc.
• Mortgage of land over years
• Government policies not in favor of workers
• Harrassment by the Contractors, brokers, etc. to
  the land owners
• To meet social expenses like marriages, health
  related expenses, come out of effects of natural
  calamities, etc.
• Exploitations by the companies involved in
  purchase of land by giving assurance for
  employment, facilitation for better health,
  schooling etc. at the time of purchase of land

10
SALE OF LAND AND ITS CONSEQUENCESContd..

• Loss of livelihood in the agriculture sector due
  to companies / factories entering in agricultural
  areas
• Setting up of Industrial factories on
  agricultural lands create (a) threat to
  neighbouring lands, (b) effects quality of agri
  produces, (c) creates Health Problems in the
  surrounding as well as consumers of agri products
• Difficult to get new skills and stand in the
  competitive market
• Survival and livelihood has become difficult for
  the informal sector workers due to urbanisation
  and development
• Livestocks affected due to diminizing grazing
  land
• Fraud with the farmers in the name of giving huge
  amounts of monetary returns in place of their
  land
• Improper rehabilitation leads to losing identity,
  livelihood and age old traditions eg. craft
  sector, vendors etc.
• Government aids does not reach because of
  corruption
• Middlemen and contractors are paid heavily as
  no direct deals between the land owners and
  buyers

11
VOICES FROM THE GRASSROOT

• Nanuben, Ahmedabad I am a labourer staying in a
  village and came to Ahmedabad many years back. I
  bought land of 400 yards at Kadi village at the
  rate of Rs. 6000 / 100 yards. We signed the land
  agreement on Rs. 20 stamp paper but there was no
  legal authentic bond signed. . I built a home on
  the same land.
• One day without notice, AUDA demolished our
  house. We lost everything and there was no other
  place for us to go. I acquired loan from SEWA
  Bank. With SEWAs help I filed a case in the
  court. After 14-15 years of battle finally I won
  the case in the court.

Faridaben, UP Central mission going on for urban
development everywhere has affected two sections
in our city i.e. street vendors and crafts
persons. There is a vending policy but it is not
followed properly. One of the markets where the
vendors used to sit since 25 years disintegrated
and the rehabilitation is not done properly. And
the craft community staying since past 200 years
are facing many problems as they are
disintegrated. The survival of craft is in
question. They are facing identity crisis. For
the craft survival it is important to
rehabilitate them together in an appropriate
place. If it is not taken care of then the craft
shall perish.
12
VOICES FROM THE GRASSROOT
Kamlaben, Surendranagar Nobody in our village
have sold land and we will not allow to sell
their land. Good that we are organized with SEWA,
else we would have sold our land long back. It is
because of the awareness and education in various
meetings, wherein we understand the importance of
this invaluable asset for the farmers - how could
we shall that ? In our village due to Narmada
canal our land was taken by the government but
are not given enough compensation and thus we are
in trouble but where shall we complain ? I have
not accepted the cheque of compensation I will
not take it unless I get the full compensation of
my land

• Leader, Surendranagar District Our land is dry
  and thus could produce only in monsoons. I have
  taken loan of Rs. 2 lacs from a money lender at
  the interest rate of 2.5 for construction of
  borewell in order to cultivate in other season as
  well. Of this I paid Rs. 1.5 lac from the
  produces of 2 years. After that the crop failed
  for 5-6 years and thus was further indebted for
  5-6 lacs. I have to return the money and thus was
  forced to sell the land at the rate of Rs. 2 lac
  / bigha. I have received Rs. 5 lac as the earnest
  money from which I have paid my debts and from
  the remaining amount which is yet to be received
  I will purchase another land.

13
VOICES FROM THE GRASSROOT
Raniben Ahir, Patan I was doing crafts work and
was not owning any land. When the land was being
sold in the village the Sarpanch asked me if I
want to purchase as he knew that I have some
savings while associated with SEWA. I very well
understood the importance of ownership, which is
one of the 11 self evaluation questions of SEWA,
thus I purchased land of 7 acres and continued to
purchase land from my savings today I own 50
acres of land. It makes difference if the
ownership is in the name of women, as husbands
could not sell land right away, as our signature
would be required. When I was in need of money I
sold my ornaments, because if land is there than
we can produce and earn from it and make new
ornaments. Also we would not look bad if we do
not wear ornaments but we need to eat and feed
our stomach. The understanding of having
ownership in the name of women came to me while
associated with SEWA else how would have I known
this being an illiterate. Raniben, Patan
District We will never allow members to sell
land, we have learnt the lessons from Shree
Elaben 10 years back regarding the importance of
land and not to sell land. I keep a watch in the
village that nobody sells land
14
SEWAS EFFORTS AND WAY FORWARD

• Work on the issue in an organized way with same
  understanding
• Work towards sustainable livelihood of members
  through an integrated effort which provides them
  with
• Livelihood, Market Access and Agri Finance
• Technical Trainings for increase
• Skill Building and Upgradation Trainings
• Agriculture Inputs (Seeds, Fertilizers, Tools
  Equipment)
• Access to Technology
• Rainfall Insurance
• Direct Market Linkages
• Access to Technology
• Finance for getting back mortgaged land

15
Contd

• Awareness, Education, participatory training
  Programmes, Workshops, Conferences etc. on..
• Consequences of Agricultural land converting into
  non Agricultural land - Food security, health,
  etc.
• How to acquire back the property which is
  mortgaged
• Campaign by Grassroot Leaders
• Legal counseling
• Experience sharing Forums
• Inclusion of the womens name in the ownership of
  land
• Effects of sale of land on livelihood and
  survival understanding longer vision funds
  received would be expensed and give relief from
  difficulties for a shorter period but in the long
  run lives and livelihood would become more
  difficult
• Importance of land and livelihood for future
  generation
• If at all the land needs to be sold then it
  should sold to the one who would use for the
  Agriculture purpose and to the resident of same
  village
• Financial literacy Programmes for the members who
  have already sold land

16
Contd

• Work on following for Land Acquisition Bill
  2011.
• Provision for
• Proper compensation for land acquired by the
  government for development
• Compensation to the family members (dependent on
  the land for livelihood) of the land owners for
  survival
• Social Impact Assessment for the families left
  behind to suffer
• Distinct Land Acquisition for development in
  Special Economic Zones
• Reimbursement by the government , including
  losses faced by the land owners, for the land
  initially acquired and eventually not used for
  the purpose. 2 expert groups and 1 technical
  expert in rehabilitation
• Responsibility of collector to listen to
  objections for rehabilitation
• Appointment of an administrator in Rehabilitation
  for listening to objections
• Routine review of points related to acquisition
  and rehabilitation
• Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation /
  Resettlement have one common law in the bill
  which can prove to be a negative aspect
• The Urgency clause under which the government
  has the right to acquire land without following
  the normal procedure needs to be looked into

17
Thank You