Video
SEWA
The
voices, faces, work and lives of our members come alive through
Video SEWA. It is a powerful medium and one that is effective
in bringing information about the world outside their village
to our members. It also honestly and directly conveys women’s
hopes, struggles and achievements to a wide audience: policy makers,
planners, legislators, politicians, educators, academics and society
in general. When our members learn about their sisters who once
were also within the confines of their four walls but have come
out, speak out and are strong leaders, they feel inspired and
motivated.
When
our sisters, chikan embroidery workers of Lucknow, saw how their
counterparts in Ahmedabad took to the streets to press for minimum
wages, they were convinced about what course of action lay ahead
for them. They planned their own rally while watching the videotape
on Ahmedabad garment workers!
Similarly
when leaders of SEWA’s Water Campaign met with the State’s
Minister for Water supply, they showed him some footage of their
work on harvesting water, and their own labour. He understood
instantly and immediately proposed that such water-harvesting
and conservation activities be immediately taken up under women’s
leadership.
There
are many other such examples of using video as both a tool of
learning, education and development and also for policy action.
It is also part of our daily organising of women to document our
work, our struggles. It is a powerful tool of the SEWA movement,
spreading our message far and wide.
SEWA
believes that it is essential that this medium stay in the hands
of the self-employed women themselves. A team of 8 full –
time video camera persons and producers and another 20 part time
members, are producing videotapes on a wide range of issues. More
than 200 tapes have been produced. Many are sold. And at almost
every SEWA meeting and training, videos are replayed.
| No |
Activities |
No.
of Women |
| 1 |
Video
production |
21 |
| 2 |
Video
Documentation |
125 |
| 3 |
Video
Replays |
300 |
| 4 |
Total
no of women viewers |
20000 |
In
1999, Video SEWA organised a festival of it films in Delhi, A
number of film producers, directors, those running TV channels
and members of national and international organisations attended
the festivals. Not only did Video SEWA get visibility at the national
level but it also obtained orders for video production.
This
year SEWA obtained new equipment in keeping with the fast paced
changes in communication technology. In this way, Video SEWA’s
professional standards and competence is enhanced.
Another
important step was taken this year as Video SEWA went ahead with
registering itself as a cooperative specialising in communication.
In this way it can both expand rapidly, market its video tapes
and move towards self reliance.
Videos
Produced in 1999
| Invisible
hands |
SEWA’s
Rally for peace |
| Banascraft |
SEWA
News – 4 tapes |
| In
One Voice |
I
am Shakti and Invisible Hands were dubbed in French |
| Clean
Water – our Basic Right |
Gokuliya
Gaam |
| Watershed
Development |
Construction
Workers |
| Video
SEWA – our History |
Visit
of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands |
| Credit
Connections |
Home
based workers |
| SEWA
Bank ( 2 tapes) |
Panchayati
Raj |
