1.
THE URBAN UNION
1.1
INTRODUCTION
Ahmedabad
City is the birthplace of SEWA, where it has been organising
women workers from informal sector for the last 33 years.
For the last 5 years it has adopted the Campaign Approach
for Organising; and through the campaigns, it has so far
organising self-employed women from number of trades where
the women workers are not organised. The main approach is
to solve work related issues & problems of as many women
as possible; and to influence policy advocacy in the long
run. This has not only helped strengthen the existing major
trades but also provided a significant place and platform
to small trades like bangle makers, sand filters, garland
makers, etc
Campaigns:
I.
Home Based
Workers:
a.
Piece Rated Minimum wages
b.
Identity Cards
c.
Social Security
d.
Minimum wages for all the trades included
in the category
e.
National Policy
II.
Labour and
Service Providers
a.
Construction workers Campaign
b.
Head Loaders Campaign
c.
Small Factory workers
d.
Casual Workers
e.
Paper Pickers Campaign
III.
Street Vendors
a.
Space and License
b.
National and State Policy
c.
Family Identity Cards
IV.
Integrated
Approach
a.
Insurance
b.
Health
c.
Savings
SEWA:
A Profile of Its Organization and Activities:
I.
SEWA UNION
a)
Urban Union
·
Campaigns
a)
Home based workers
b)
Increase stick rollers
c)
Readymade garment workers
d)
Vendors and Hawkers
e)
Head load workers
f)
Paper pickers
g)
Casual labourers and factory workers
·
Legal services
·
Legal training
b)
Rural Union
·
Jeevika project
a)
Agriculture development
b)
Soil and water management
c)
Cattle and fodder development
d)
Promotion of gum collection
e)
Salt production
f)
Self-reliance through handcraft
g)
Minor credit facility
h)
Disaster preparation and prevention
i)
Social security
j)
Long term food security
·
Campaign
a)
Forestation Campaign
b)
Water Campaign
II.
SEWA Gram
Mahila Haat
Marketing support services
III.
SEWA Trade
Facilitation Centre
a)
Marketing support
services for artisan’s products
b)
Provide National
and International linkages for marketing of craft products
IV.
SEWA Co-operatives
V.
SEWA Bank
a)
Financial counselling
b)
Saving and
fixed deposits
c)
Credit to the
members
VI.
SEWA Academy
a)
Training
b)
Literacy
c)
Research and
policy development
d)
Communication
through print and electronic media
VII.
Video SEWA
VIII.
The Gujarat
State Mahila SEWA Co-operative
Federation Ltd.
a)
Training and
guidance services
b)
Marketing services
c)
Vegetable Shop
IX.
SEWA Social
Security
a)
SEWA health
and child care
·
Health and
midwives’ cooperatives
·
Health centers
·
Dispensaries
b)
Housing and
Shelter
c)
Insurance
Ř
Economic Activities:
·
Midwives’ campaign
·
Generating
employment opportunity for member by forming micro enterprises
·
Poverty alleviation
programmes
·
Marketing of
craft products and other products like gum, salt etc.
·
Capacity building
trainings such as masonry training, hand pump repairing
trainings
·
Providing linkages
with government welfare schemes
Ř
Support Services:
·
Health care
and child care
·
Insurance
·
Saving and
credit
·
Housing
·
Water campaign
·
Forestry campaign
·
Agriculture
campaign
·
Water campaign
·
Disaster management
activities
REPORT OF URBAN UNION
BY SEWA’S 11 QUESTIONS
| Sr. No. |
Details |
Members |
Rs./Activities |
| 1 |
Employment |
|
|
| |
Vendors |
8,693 |
Rs. 4,70,71,400/- |
| Labourers |
3,066 |
Rs. 2,97,75,738/- |
| Home
based |
2,645 |
Rs. 1,11,00,100/- |
| Shanta |
257 |
Rs.
16,42,378/- |
| Shantipath |
755 |
Rs. 5,82,82,560/- |
| Stable
Employment |
10 |
Rs. 2,16,000/- |
| TOTAL |
15,426 |
Rs. 14,80,88,176/- |
| 2 |
Income |
|
|
| |
Vendors |
8,246 |
Rs.
64,70,293/- |
| Labourers |
40,085 |
Rs. 4,04,91,154/- |
| Home
based |
27,559 |
Rs. 1,01,66,367/- |
| Shanta |
257 |
Rs.
21,86,800/- |
| Shantipath |
330 |
Rs. 4,05,320/- |
| TOTAL |
76,477 |
| |