SEWA's Annual General Meeting:
Women Reach Markets Directly

January 4-6, Ahmedabad
I work I work for my family
I work for my village
I work for my nation
I contribute to the market economy
I feel empowered

Every year in the month of January SEWA organizes three day Annual General Meeting. The primary objective of this meeting is to share the activities of past year and the annual plans for the forthcoming year. This year the meeting was organized from January 4-6, at SEWA Academy , Manipur. On the first day, about 2200 rural and urban representatives of SEWA's various trades met and discussed the concerns related to their trades and lives. The major concern that was discussed was women's empowerment in which market oriented approach to empowerment was the primary focus. Also, a resolution was passed to acquire recognition as a Nationalized Union. On the second and the third day SEWA's spearhead teams discussed their activities of the past year and their future plans, not to forget the intermittent songs and dances and gaiety.

The theme of the Annual Meeting was Empowerment through Markets. The women workers of SEWA have long since felt a need for mainstreaming their work in the local, national, and international market. Now, through production, marketing and sales of goods such as grains, clothes, shoes and other items and providing services for water, sanitation, milk, and medical facilities has not only strengthened the women, it has also provided a greater visibility to them and their contribution to the market economy. In addition, to remain focused, SEWA is constantly conducting market surveys which help in adapting with the changes in the market and in long term sustainability and presence of women workers in the market.

To mainstream the work of rural and urban poor women, SEWA has always focused on the training and capacity building of the women workers. For instance, women artisans who are into tailoring and embroidery work are trained at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, a premier institute of fashion and apparel designing in the country. This has not only empowered the women but has also helped them to understand the current fashion and the dynamics of market demand and supply with respect to clothes. While earlier, these women were into making traditional clothes, now, they make trousers, capris, skirts and other clothes to create a fashion impact in the market. This has helped to do large scale production with the aid of technology and also sell the products at affordable rates in the market. 

SEWA's Women Workers on Market Oriented Empowerment

Subiben Valabhai (Visavadi village): I am an agricultural worker. Earlier, I never knew what a bazaar is, as I used to remain within the four walls of my house. I didn't know where does money come from and where it goes and where it can be utilized. But, after I was trained by SEWA I learnt what quality goods are, learnt how to weigh with an electronic weighing machine. Today, I sell sesame at better prices. Earlier, I was known as an agricultural worker. Now, I have an identity of a business person.

Kapilaben Parmar (Ahmedabad): I live in Gomtipur area of Ahmedabad city. I am a construction worker. Earlier, I earned about Rs.100-150 per day from my work. After I underwent training for Housing at SEWA, I earn rs.200 per day, as my skills in construction work were upgraded technically.

Sadhna Parmar (Ahmedabad): I am a member of the Saundarya cooperative of SEWA. Earlier, I was involved in sweeping and swabbing. Now, I operate the vacuum cleaner and clean offices. Our demand has increased in offices. I can also enter accounts in the computer.

Madhuben Parmar (Chuneda village): I am an agricultural worker. I am trained as a plumber by SEWA. Plumbers are always required for repair work. Earlier, I did not know what a tap is. Now, I can repair taps, can make domestic water pipelines, and can drain out water from the terrace.

Celebration of the Implementation of the Minimum Wages Act:
Meeting of SEWA’s Incense Stick Workers

December 23, Ahmedabad
More than 2000 incense stick workers of SEWA gathered at Magal Bhuvan in Ahmedabad to celebtate the rise in wages for incense stick rolling and the implementation of the minimum wages act. It was noteworthy that along with SEWA's General Secratery and the Organizer of the Urban Union, the Labour Minister of Guajarat State and Additional Labour Commissioners also participated witrh gaiety in this celebration.

SEWA has unionized 10,157 women incense stick workers from the 20,000 women incense stick workers in Ahmedabad city. Each of these women sit for 8 to 12 hours and roll about 5000 to 6000 incense sticks and sell these to the incense stick manufacturers. However, the women got lower wages for their labor despite the Minimum Wages Act in the country. To inform the Labor Department of the state, SEWA conducted a survey of incense stick workers. SEWA had also been persistently holding talks with the Labor Department of Gujarat and the Association of Incense Sticks Manufacturers to raise the wages by 10 to 20 paise. Subsequently, in a tripartite meeting of manufacturers, labor department and SEWA it was decided to raise the wages and the minimum wages for incense stick rollers were fixed. After the official wage rise according to the Minimum Wages Act, the women incense stick workers are entitled to get Rs.7.50 for rolling 1000 oil-based incense sticks and Rs.7 for rolling 1000 water-based incense sticks.

Many women still get lesser wages despite the official fixing of Minimum Wages. The officials of the labor department were informed regarding this issue. They assured that if these issues are brought to their notice then they will see to the implementation of minimum wages for incense stick rolling.                                      
Memorandum to the Labour Minister of Gujarat

The Labour Minister of Gujarat was submitted a memorandum by SEWA's General Secratary on behalf of women incense stick workers. The memorandum had the following issues:

SEWA welcomes the official advertisement on 25th August 2004 of minimum wages for incense stick workers. The wage rise has been made possible due to tripartite talks.

To find out whether the wage rise was truly implemented or not SEWA had conducted a survey. The result indicate that 60 percent menufacturers and owners had implemented the wage rise. The Laour Departments needs to undertake steps for the implementation of the wage rise in entire Ahmendabad.

To improve the socio-economic conditions of these workers, a Tripartite Social Security Trust is being formed. The Labour Department is requested to contribute to this trust. The workers and the manufacturers will also give thier contributions.

Apply the E.S.I (Employee's State Insurence Corporation) scheme to incense stick workers. The incense stick workers will contribute to it. If the LAbour Department contributes to this scheme, then thousands of families of incense stick workers will get the cover of social security.

Grain Bank in Aantarnesh Village under SEWA’s Jeevika Project

Aantarnesh, a village situated on the boarder of India is now on the world map because of its Grain Bank. Aanternesh is a remote village in the Patan district of Gujarat state.The popularly known Little Rann of Kutch starts from this village. During the monsoon,access to this village becomes impossible because of the overflowing of Banas River. These are difficult times for the village people as all modes of transportation are stopped. Subsequently, they have to face acute shortage of food grains.

The people who suffer the most during the monsoon crisis are the poorest of the poor in the village. To facilitate the provision of quality food grains at affordable rates to the poorest of the poor, a grain bank has been started in Aantarnesh under the Jeevika Project of SEWA Rural Development.  The Aantarnesh Grain Bank is a joint enterprise of Jeevika SEWA Mandal and the people of Aantarnesh. Eighty families which have been identified as the poorest of the poor through village meetings in Aantarnesh have contributed Rs.1600 to the Aantarnesh Grain Bank. They are the main beneficiaries of the grain bank too.

According to the village people, the prices of food grains at the Aantarnesh Grain Bank is lower than the market price, hence it is affordable. In the beginning, 2400 kgs of wheat at Rs.6 per kg, 400 kgs of rice at Rs.7 per kg, and 500 kgs of split Bengal Grams at Rs.5 per kg were sold. Within two months the entire stock was sold with a resultant income of Rs.10,800. Later, the people of Aantarnesh demanded Bajri, as wheat proves to be costlier because of the use of oil with it. Hence, Bajri worth Rs. 10,000 was bought from a nearby village called Varahi Gunj. Within a month the entire stock of Bajri was sold at Rs.7 per kg with a profit of Rs.600.

The development of the Aantarnesh Grain Bank has prompted people from other villages of Guajarat to visit the bank and understand its functioning. They have also asked SEWA for an intermediate initiation of a Grain Bank in their respective villages.

                                     Babiben Thakor on Antarnesh Grain Bank

I became a member of the Aantarnesh Grain Bank by contributing Rs.20. Originally, I am a gum collector but now I am into coal labor. I get a daily wage of Rs.25 from this work. The presence of the Antarnesh Grain Bank has made food grains easily accessible and available in the village itself. Earlier, when there was no grain bank, I had to go to Varahi for buying grains. This meant that I had to incur the loss of wages as I had to be away for a day and take leave from my daily labor. It also meant that I had to pay daily for transportation and also buy grains at higher prices. Now, due to the grain bank my day is not spoilt, I can buy quality grains at lower prices and save some money.

SEWA in the International Labor Movement Talk by Dan Gallin to SEWA Members

January 12,Ahmedabad
Dear Sisters and Comrades,

I am here to introduce a discussion on the role SEWA is playing in the international labor movement and on its future role. I am pleased and honored to have this opportunity to exchange views with you.

SEWA is, of course, already part of the international trade union movement: it is an affiliate of the IUF, of the ITGLWF, of ICEM and it may perhaps become a member of other labor internationals. It is also, through its Academy, a member of the IFWEA. What is the meaning, the significance, of this commitment? In a way, it is a totally natural commitment, because SEWA is a union of workers. SEWA is also other things: it is a women's movement, a co-operative movement and it is not just any union, but a union of informal women workers. But it is a union of workers.

No one invented unions. Workers spontaneously form unions to collectively resist exploitation. They are self-help organizations of workers, but they are more than that. Through this struggle against exploitation the labor movement has developed its values......

SEWA joining the international labor movement means it is joining the global struggle for a society based on solidarity, equality, justice and freedom. How does that translate practically?Let us not forget: this is not just a struggle about ideas, it is a struggle about power, about changing power relationships. We do this through organization.

SEWA has already made impressive contributions o the international movement. Your remarkable achievements in India have been an inspiration to others, for example in South Africa , in Yemen , in Turkey , where you have been assisting and advising....SEWA has also been instrumental in creating and building WIEGO, a global network of unions, activist groups and individuals created to support the organization of informal workers, particularly women workers, into unions and to advance their cause. You have also helped build StreetNet and HomeNet, the international networks of street and market vendors and of home workers.

But I would suggest to you that the time has come to broaden your sense of solidarity to encompass the entire labor movement of which you are a part. I know that this may be difficult to appreciate in your country where the traditional trade union movement is not supporting you and is not showing the solidarity you would be entitled to expect and prepared to give in return. But that is not the situation at international level. In the international trade union movement you are a respected and prestigious organization and those organizations where you are a member are proud to have you.
On your part, this entails a broader commitment. The international trade union organizations of which you are a part are more than just a source of support. Solidarity is a relationship of reciprocity and you should demonstrate solidarity and support also for struggles which are not necessarily only those of women workers in the informal economy.

Finally, you should join all international trade union organizations where your presence is likely to make a difference, and that includes today the ICFTU.There your role can be a crucial one: that of ensuring that organizing in the informal economy becomes and remains a top priority of the wider labor movement.Trade unions based on the formal economy are losing members almost everywhere as formal employment is shrinking. At the same time, informal employment, so far mostly beyond the reach of the traditional unions, is growing all over the world. Organizing in the informal economy has become a survival issue for the labor movement.

Your expertise, your experience and your commitment are invaluable in this regard. There is no other organization in the world that can make the contribution you are capable of making. So, it is "all for one and one for all" at global level.

Further information about the conference and drafts of the papers are available online at www.wiego.org/ahmedabad.

ICT in SEWA

Kheda: Under the Information Communication Technology Project of Kheda district, SEWA has initiated a Computer Laboratory. SEWA’s women of savings groups are being trained here for accounting. SEWA’s leaders of Kheda district are being trained for basic computing skills. Also, the leaders have Kheda district have worked rigorously to start a Computer Learning Centre in Mogar village.

Words & Words

Ahmedabad: The Mahila SEWA Ansuya Trust had organized training on report writing for the counselors and organizers of SEWA’s Shantipath (way of peace) Centers. The training included method and format of report writing, case studies, interviews, and daily note-taking. The women said that they have understood how to organize their thoughts and writing, which will ultimately improve their report writing.

SEWA in Japan 's Universities

Japan : SEWA was especially invited for giving a detailed orientation about its activities in three universities of Japan , namely, Okaima University , Kagava University , Zentursuzi University . SEWA presented information regarding its unions, cooperatives, and district associations, SEWA's goals, its activities and campaigns in urban and rural areas, life school education, Gram Haat, Trade Facilitation Centre, grassroots trading network, SEWA's role and approach in struggles etc.

The Queen of Bhutan visits SEWA

Elaben Bhatt receives award for
Community Service and Social Upliftment

February 4, New Delhi
Elaben Bhatt was presented with the first ever Laksmipat Singhania – IIML (Indian Institute Of Management, Lucknow) National Leadership Award 2004 by the President of India, Shri Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.This award was in recognition of her inspirational leadership, commitment and initiative in the field of Community Service and Social Upliftment. She was chosen for her contribution to the movement of self-reliance and empowerment of women and marginal workers.

While receiving the award, she said, 'I have realized that poverty and loss of freedom are not separate. Given opportunities, the poor and working women when organized, develop their inner strength, they innovate, create new systems, products; put technologies to their use, access markets, build capital and this brings stability to their family and children. They feel a sense of freedom.