For us at SEWA, the word “strength”, “peace”, and “self-reliance” all begin with one name, Ben – Elaben Bhatt. Our beloved Founder, our guide, our inspiration.
Today, on 2nd November 2025 – Elaben’s 3rd Death Anniversary, SEWA’s grassroots leaders, organizers and executive committee members from various states, districts and trades gathered with love and gratitude and offered SEWA’s all religion prayer at the “Vadlo” – the banyan tree that Elaben herself planted at SEWA’s 50th Anniversary at Lokmanya Tilak Baug in Ahmedabad. SEWA’s grassroots sisters are nurturing it as they are nurturing Elaben’s legacy – to ensure that we continue growing together strongly against all odds.
Following the prayer, SEWA’s General Secretary, Jyotiben welcomed all to SEWA Chowk – the very place where Elaben laid the foundation of SEWA. Explaining the significance of the place, she explained that this was the very place where Elaben always used to sit and conduct the “Boudhik Shala” – the Thinking School. Elaben strongly believed that women must think and therefore, she started the Boudhik Shala’s where she would inspire and motivate us to think. In these Boudhik Shalas we would not discuss our day-to-day activities. Elaben would invite guests and experts from various fields who would share information on varied topics and force us to think. She conducted over 28 such Boudhik Shalas on various topics including Values, leadership, Climate change, Economy, etc. 
Jyotiben also explained that this day is also very important for SEWA… She explained that Elaben’s vision had always been to bring visibility and validity to the informal sector women workers’ challenges and contribution to the Economy. And therefore, to carry forward her legacy, SEWA worked hard to get this recognition at IUF Asia-Pacific regional meetings and congress meetings. As a fruition of SEWA’s hard work, three years ago, at the IUF Global Congress, over 3000 affiliates voted to pass a resolution to declare 2nd Nov as “International Day for Women in the Informal Economy Towards Voice, Visibility and Validity of their Work” as a tribute to Elaben’s life’s work. She thanked IUF for sharing this vision and helping bring wider recognition to Elaben and her work.
Following this declaration, IUF has been working on promoting this day amongst the IUF affiliates globally – not just on 2nd Nov, but every day in the Asia Pacific region. She invited Shrutiben from IUF to share how IUF has been celebrating this day – every day with IUF affiliates globally.
She also explained how over the past year, SEWA along with IUF has worked hard towards getting this day recognized globally by the ILO at the 113th session of ILC held in June 2025.
Brother Hidayat Greenfield, Regional Secretary of IUF – Asia Pacific, sent a video solidarity message promising to celebrate Nov 2nd every year with SEWA and said that “2nd Nov will not only symbolize the continued campaign to bring voice, visibility and validity to informal sector women workers, but will symbolize Hope… that women in informal economy in any country in the world can join together, combine together and exercise their collective bargaining power to fundamentally transform and change their lives… to lift themselves out of poverty, breakdown the barriers that marginalize them and truly exercise their right to freedom”
Brother Kristjan Bragason, Acting General Secretary of IUF said in video remarks that “Elaben showed us that women workers no matter where or how they work deserve voice, visibility and validation. She taught us that organizing in unions is essential – not just to protect rights but to give women power to shape the system that affects their lives and livelihoods. IUF is working with IUF and ILO to get 2nd Nov recognized globally because carrying forward Elaben’s legacy means continuing to organize women workers in the informal economy, strengthening their collective power and ensuring that they are seen, heard and valued.”
Following brother Hidayat and brother Kristjan’s video messages, Shruti Patidar from IUF – Asia Pacific, shared how IUF is carrying forward Elaben’s thoughts and vision globally and motivating and inspiring global unions to organize informal workers.
Ramilaben, SEWA’s President shared her personal life-story – how Elaben inspired and motivated her to overcome her own internal fears and work towards a larger cause of organizing women to build their collective strength. 
Champaben, SEWA’s ex-Vice President shared her life story… explaining how Elaben not only helped her address challenges in her own trade – Street Vending, but inspired her and helped her see beyond her own pains – and work for a bigger cause. She explained how with Elaben’s guidance traveled across the country and surveyed the issues and challenges faced by street vendors that led to the formation of NASVI and the National Street Vendors Act in 2014. And this is just about Street vendors, but our Elaben worked with same diligence for Home-based workers getting the ILO convention for them, for construction workers, for Headloaders, for bidi workers and many more. Whenever we used to get discouraged, she would always say “Removing “ના” (the work ‘no / not’) from the work “નામુમકીન” (not possible) will make it possible”
Following Ramilaben and Champaben’s fond recollections of Elaben, the Hindi edition of Women, Work, and Peace – a curated compilation of Elaben’s transformative speeches, was launched. Neelam Gupta, Elaben’s friend and a Hindi Literature Laureate who has translated the book shared her memories with Elaben “Neelamben – “I had committed to Elaben that I will translate this book when I had met her last time on the SEWA’s 50th Anniversary. I had also translated Elaben’s book – Anubandh, but she was present at that time. But this time, she was not here. I know that Elaben was very particular about her choice of words. So several times, I would write and then think that ‘no… Elaben would not like this word’. Then I would recall all my past conversations with her and find a word that I think Elaben would have chosen. So I feel that she has always been in my mind throughout this translation.
Elaben strongly believed in Women, 100-miles principle and Economy of Nurturance. SEWA is strongly believing and following these principles. If our policy-makers and shapers of our economy also start believing them, it can solve all our social and economic challenges.
Elaben always used to think that women must read. Therefore, she started SEWA’s newsletter – “Ansuya” in hindi and then she requested me to translate Anubandh. I always felt that she wanted SEWA’s members read these books. They have to organize, they have to contribute to policies, they have to become self-reliant and they have to build the economy of nurturance. And these books could guide them in all of these.
Today world over, everyone is seeing that local decentralized economies are playing a significant role in global economies and peace-making process. Elaben had long back envisioned this and her life’s work was focused on this.
The only thing that is missing in this book is Elaben’s vision about building cleaner skies. She spoke about this on SEWA’s 50th Anniversary and I am very happy to see that SEWA’s members are spearheading it.
I am very happy to hear about IUF’s declaration of 2nd Nov as “International Day for women in informal Economy” and I heartily congratulate SEWA for this.”
Following Neelamben, Jyotiben read out the message from Mihir Bhatt, Elaben’s son : “Today is your day… celebrating you, your achievement and success… celebration of your resilience in overcoming barrier and challenges peacefully… it is celebration of unity and oneness that you have achieved together. It is the celebration of Women’s leadership capacity – not just of women from India but globally. With blessing of millions of poor informal sector women workers, you have been able to navigate this journey of over 5 decades. Challenges will keep coming – from within and from outside – social and economic – of thoughts and of actions – you all know this. And you will definitely find solutions to address these challenges – the solutions that would be formal or informal, , local or national, thought-based or action-oriented – such solutions that will strengthen the union and develop the organizations – and eventually with everyone’s concerted efforts enable every women to access food, clothing shelter, finance, healthcare and education – so that every women can enjoy a future of her choice. Your solutions would have risen from nations policies and communities’ will. They will be more non-violent than the structures and policies that have been formed by Men. You are organized and will continue organizing.”
At the very end of the program, Kathy Shreedhar – a champion of social justice in India for five decades and Elaben’s close friend shared her Memoire of Elaben fondly remembering Elaben as “visionary, courageous, inspiring, passionate, innovative, determined, and endlessly generous and caring – a woman of rare spirit who changed lives everywhere she went.” Read Kathy’s Memoire of Elaben here: https://www.sewa.org/news/elaben-memoir-as-shared-by-cathy-sridhar/
Grassroots leaders and organizers Lalitaben from Anand district and Sakhiben from Patan district sang songs for SEWA, songs of love, unity, and courage.
Today reminded us once again that Elaben’s legacy is not in the past, it lives in every SEWA member.
At SEWA, we proudly say “हर एक बहन इला बहन.”
Because through SEWA, every woman has received the same confidence, respect, and recognition that Elaben stood for. Elaben Bhatt didn’t just work for women, she built a movement of peace through women’s empowerment. She taught us that when women gain work and income, families prosper and society finds peace.
Today, we bow in respect and renew our promise, to keep Elaben’s vision alive, to continue organizing women workers, and to spread the message of Women, Work, and Peace across the world.
