About SEWA
SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organization of poor, self-employed women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labor or small businesses.
Our Mission
To organize women workers for full employment where workers obtain work security, income security, food security, and social security.
Our Vision
A world where every self-employed woman has dignity, identity, and sustainable livelihood with social and economic justice.
Our Values
Unity, self-reliance, struggle, and development. We believe in the collective strength of women to transform their own lives.
Our History & Founder
SEWA was founded in 1972 by Ela Bhatt, a renowned labour leader and Gandhian. The inspiration came from the need to provide a collective voice to the millions of women working in the informal sector—street vendors, home-based workers, manual labourers, and service providers—who were unrecognized, underpaid, and lacked any social protection.
Starting with a modest membership of 1,200 in Ahmedabad, SEWA has grown into a national movement spanning 18 states. Ela Bhatt's philosophy was simple yet powerful: "When a poor woman gains control over income, it is not just economic betterment, but a profound social and psychological transformation."
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