Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA, SEWA Reception Centre, Opp. Victoria Garden, Bhadra, Ahmedabad/380 001., Ahmedabad (2026)

09/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴!!

“Do you know how to sing? Do you know Garba?”

Elaben would often ask this question while meeting or interviewing someone. For her, it was a way of knowing the person beyond her work and discovering the joy, creativity and culture within her.

Music and prayer were deeply woven into Elaben’s life and into SEWA’s journey. She understood that for poor women workers, songs carried their work and wisdom, their struggles and pain, their joy, hopes and dreams.

On Elaben’s 93rd birth anniversary, the Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA family came together to celebrate this beautiful aspect of her life through the launch of ShramGaan - a special initiative honouring the deep connection between women, work and music.

SEWA’s members have sung while farming, embroidering, selling in markets, working in salt pans and caring for their families. They have sung during SEWA meetings, trainings, struggles, celebrations and community gatherings. Through these songs, experiences and knowledge have travelled from one sister to another.

ShramGaan seeks to collect, document, preserve and share this living musical heritage. A dedicated website and YouTube channel were launched, featuring songs created and sung by SEWA’s women members over the years, including songs sung by Elaben herself. Through this digital space, songs that once travelled from sister to sister can now travel across regions and generations.

Mirandeben Shah, a trained classical musician and folk artist, beautifully reflected on how the voices of SEWA’s sisters come straight from the heart and how Elaben saw music as a way of bringing people together and nurturing relationships:

“Shram is sadhana; when work and music come together, they become meditation.”

Listen to SEWA members songs here: https://sewa.org/shram-gaan/index.html

The programme also witnessed the launch of the "Boudhik Shala booklet" written and compiled by Jyotiben Macwan, General Secretary of SEWA. Based on learning and reflection sessions conducted by Elaben, the booklet brings offers a deeper understanding of the many dimensions of Elaben’s thinking. Through the BoudhikShalas, Elaben used to encourage SEWA’s leaders and organisers to develop the habit of thinking, questioning and reflecting together.

The launch became a warm and emotional gathering as SEWA leaders and organisers shared personal memories of Elaben and recalled how she had inspired them to organise, grow and transform their lives.

While ShramGaan carries forward the songs, voices and cultural identity of women workers, Boudhik Shala carries forward Elaben’s ideas and reflections. Together, they are a living tribute to her enduring legacy of work, dignity, creativity, unity and collective strength.

Where there is work, there is music; and where there is music, there is unity, hope and new strength.

07/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗘𝗿𝗮?

Across the world, conversations on AI and the future of work are dominated by one concern: will AI take away jobs?

For millions of workers in the informal economy, however, the starting point is different. Many of these workers continue to depend on manual, physically demanding work; have limited access to information, markets and formal skilling; and remain invisible in data and policy systems. For them, AI could offer an opportunity to reduce drudgery, improve productivity, strengthen access to markets and services, and open pathways to new and better livelihoods.

But this will not happen automatically. AI is still evolving, and there is an important opportunity today to shape how it is designed, deployed and governed. If informal workers are included in this process, AI can become a tool for inclusion. If their realities are overlooked, it could further deepen existing inequalities.

It was with this perspective that Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA participated in the Shaping Economic Futures in the AI Era workshop, convened by Partnership on AI and Windfall Trust in Washington, D.C., in July 2026 that brought together AI companies, economists, civil society organizations, labour unions and international institutions to explore how AI may reshape work and the economy.

SEWA brought to these discussions the experiences of poor, self-employed women workers from the Global South whose work sustains households and economies, yet often remains invisible due to lack of data on the realities of these workers.

SEWA’s members have taught us that poor women do not need charity. They need access to appropriate technology, relevant skills, finance, markets, social protection and most importantly, a voice in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.

An inclusive AI future must therefore be co-created with workers. AI tools must be affordable, locally relevant and available in local languages. Investments in digital infrastructure, skilling and social protection must reach workers outside formal employment systems. Grassroots data must also guide policies and help us understand how AI is affecting women’s work, income, dignity and bargaining power.

Whether AI creates shared prosperity or deepens inequality will depend on whose knowledge shapes it, who participates in its governance and how fairly its gains are distributed.

We thank Partnership on AI and Windfall Trust for creating space for this important dialogue and for including the perspectives of informal women workers from the Global South.

Read the workshop report:https://partnershiponai.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Shaping-Economic-Futures-in-the-AI-Era-Workshop-Readout-.pdf

04/09/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗻: 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆!!

On 15 August, Payalben Munjpara, a young Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA member trained as Solar PV Technician from Bharada village, was invited as an Eminent citizen to the Independence Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan – a moment of immense pride for Payalben, her family, her entire community and SEWA.

SEWA’s founder, Elaben, believed deeply in the power of skilling and the potential of India’s youth. Guided by her vision, in partnership with ReNew Power and UN Environment Programme, SEWA launched it’s Surya initiative that equips rural young women with future-ready Green technical skills, enabling them to access decent and dignified livelihoods in the growing renewable-energy sector.

After completing three months of Solar PV training, Payalben started her own rooftop solar installation enterprise. In just six months, she has installed more than 50 systems, helping families access affordable energy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana while also supporting her father’s work as a local electrician.

“I always wanted to study and become a professional, but social norms and my father’s financial challenges stood in the way. When SEWA introduced the Solar PV Technician course near our village, I joined immediately. People initially could not believe that a young girl could install solar systems, but my SEWA always encouraged me. Being invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan was a moment of immense pride. SEWA gave me the skills and confidence to journey from the lanes of Bharada village to Rashtrapati Bhavan,” shares Payalben.

Her journey shows that when young women are organised, skilled and supported, they can break gender stereotypes, build sustainable livelihoods and lead their communities towards a greener future.

We thank Hon’ble President of India and Hon'ble Prime Minister of India for recognizing hidden potential of India’s rural youth and encouraging them. We also thank Govt. of India and Doordarshan for supporting Payalben at all steps in her visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

27/08/2026

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗖𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟭𝟳!!

For over five decades, Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA has organized women workers in the informal economy. With over 60% of its 3.7 million members being rural and associated with agriculture, has accumulated rich, bottom-up knowledge on the issues and challenges faced by poor smallholder women farmers – especially on how land degradation and climate change affect livelihoods, income, dignity and food security.

With this rich grassroots knowledge comes a strong moral responsibility: to bring voice and visibility to the challenges faced by poor women workers in the informal economy, while demonstrating the validity of the climate action already being led by them. Therefore, to bring members’ lived realities and practical solutions to a global platform, SEWA participated in in Mongolia this month.

SEWA’s team participated in several panel discussions, sharing not only the challenges, but how SEWA’s women smallholder farmers are restoring soil fertility, adopting natural farming and natural inputs, regenerating degraded land and placing women at the centre of climate action.

During the event, they also had an opportunity to interact with Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, Shri Bhupendra Yadav ji and share the challenges faced by poor Salt-farmer women working on forest lands.

Emphasizing the importance of women’s inclusion and agency in agriculture and climate action space at COP17, SEWA’s grassroot leader Rekhaben said: “Our experience is simple… when you give a women farmers knowledge, they change their farms; when you give them collective strength, they change their community. Grassroots women and their organisations should be trusted and supported as partners, because we are already organised at the grassroots and understand what women and their communities need."

SEWA’s team highlighted the climate action and land restoration work being led by poor informal sector women workers under SEWA’s Campaign, such as Women’ tree growers cooperative - Vanlaxmi Mandali’s transformation of 10 acres of barren land, women-led land restoration in Kutch.

24/07/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲!!

For over five decades, Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA has been a driving force for economic self-reliance, growing into a national movement of over 3.7 million poor, self-employed women workers across 18 states in India.

SEWA’s first-generation members built a strong foundation of courage, unity, and self-reliance. Today, as the world and the nature of work are changing, a new generation of SEWA members is coming forward with new hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Around 40% of SEWA’s members today are young women between the ages of 18 and 35. They want to learn new skills, use technology, and explore new opportunities to improve their livelihoods. At the same time, new technologies and green jobs are creating new possibilities. However, many young women from informal worker families still find it difficult to access good skill training because of challenges like cost, distance, or lack of information.

To support its members for the future, SEWA has started a skilling programme that helps women and youth learn new skills, find better livelihood opportunities, and become more confident in their work. Through this programme, SEWA is preparing its members for the jobs of tomorrow and strengthening the movement for the next 50 years and beyond.

As part of this effort SEWA has worked with the Rooftop Solar Training Academy (RSTA) to train women in rooftop solar technology and create opportunities in the growing green economy.

From 6 to 17 July 2026, the first batch of 27 SEWA members attended the Solar PV Installation Helper training at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar. During the 10-day training, they learned the basics of rooftop solar systems through practical sessions and hands-on experience. After completing the training, 25 SEWA members appeared for the final assessment and are now ready to begin their journey as solar energy professionals.

This is an important step towards creating sustainable livelihoods for women while contributing to a cleaner environment. By learning solar technology, SEWA members are building confidence, gaining technical skills, and opening new doors for themselves, their families, and their communities.

SEWA members are not just learning a new skill—they are becoming leaders in the green economy and helping build a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.

The Rooftop Solar Training Academy (RSTA) is supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and implemented in partnership with ReNew, the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), SEWA, and the Grassroot Trading Network for Women (GTNfW).

17/07/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 - 𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗥 𝗠𝗼𝗨: 𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁!!

Today marks a significant step towards strengthening family farming in India as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA signed an Umbrella Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly work for the empowerment of women family farmers and the promotion of sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. This is under the decade of Family Farming where the National Action Plans for Family Farmings was made. This MoU will help implement this plan.

This partnership brings together ICAR's scientific research and innovation with SEWA's membership of over 3.7 million women workers across 21 states, creating new opportunities. To enable research outcomes reach the last mile and responds to the realities of women farmers.

The partnership is an important recognition of the central role that women play in ensuring food security, conserving biodiversity, and building resilient rural communities. It also reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that women family farmers are not just beneficiaries of innovation but active partners in shaping the future of Indian agriculture.

Together, ICAR and SEWA are paving the way for a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agriculture where women family farmers are recognised, supported, and empowered to lead the transformation.

01/07/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐧'𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐒𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐄𝐖𝐀 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐤𝐡 !!!

Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA's founder, Elaben, always believed that every woman has the skills, knowledge and determination to become self-reliant. Guided by this belief, SEWA organizes women workers to build their collective strength, strengthen their capacities and facilitates organizing them into their own economic enterprises through which they can transform their traditional skills into sustainable livelihoods. This remains central to SEWA's approach of achieving full employment and self-reliance.

On these lines, since 2012, SEWA has organized over 12,000 women workers across Leh and Ladakh and facilitated capacity building in embroidery, weaving, garment making, food processing and enterprise development with support of well-wishers like Bajaj Finserv and Azim Premji Foundation. Today, members are producing and marketing handwoven, handcrafted and hand-embroidered garments, home furnishings, accessories, handicrafts and processed food products. Many have also opened their homes as homestays, creating additional livelihood opportunities while preserving Ladakh's rich culture and traditions.

On 29 June 2026, Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi, Hon'ble Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, visited SEWA's Skill Training Centre at Phyang, Leh, along with officials from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization (MGIRI).

During the visit, he interacted with SEWA members, learned about their journey of building women-led enterprises, and explored the products and livelihood initiatives developed by the members. SEWA's grassroots leaders also shared the opportunities and challenges they face in strengthening their enterprises and expanding market access. The Hon'ble Minister appreciated their efforts and shared that the Ministry of MSME would explore opportunities to connect SEWA members with relevant schemes and programmes.

The journey of SEWA's members in Ladakh reaffirm that meaningful and inclusive development is built through collective effort. When women workers organizations like SEWA, government institutions and the private sector work together, they create opportunities that strengthen livelihoods, preserve local knowledge and build resilient local economies.

SEWA values the continued support of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of MSME, the UT Administration of Ladakh, Bajaj Foundation and other partners in this shared journey towards full employment and self-reliance for every woman worker.

27/06/2026

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!!!

Climate change is changing the way women farmers grow food. But it is also creating opportunities for new ideas, new leadership and new knowledge.

The journey of Jashodaben - a smallholder farmer member of SEWA from struggling with repeated crop losses to becoming a climate-resilient farmer, community trainer and eventually a guest faculty member at Ahmedabad University reminds us that solutions often emerge from the lived experiences of farmers themselves.

At Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA, we believe that when women farmers are equipped with knowledge, they do much more than strengthen their own livelihoods. They become innovators, teachers and leaders who help entire communities adapt to a changing climate.

Explore Jashodaben's inspiring journey - from the fields to the classroom..

17/06/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗸𝗯𝗮𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲!!

For over five decades, poor informal women workers across India have come together through Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA to strengthen their livelihoods, build their own institutions, access social protection, and advance the goals of full employment and self-reliance.

Recognizing these efforts and the leadership of millions of everyday women workers that SEWA's Director, Reema Nanavaty, was honoured with the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award 2026, on 13th June, 2026.

Dedicating the award to SEWA's over 3.78 million members, she said: "By giving me this award, Shri Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation has felicitated not just me, but millions of informal sector women workers of the country and their understanding and struggle to achieve full employment and self-reliance."

Reflecting on the current times, she shared that SEWA's members have, for decades, worked towards unity and the development of the nation through their organised collective strength. In times of crisis and uncertainty, they have also shown us the real meaning of solidarity – coming together as poor, as women and as workers – irrespective of their caste or religion – united by their shared struggles, aspirations, and determination to eradicate poverty and build a strong nation.

They have demonstrated that when women come together around work and livelihoods, they build not only economic security, but also social harmony.

"When poor women have work in their hands, peace is established. This is our experience at SEWA."

Instituted by Shri Govind Dholakia through the SRK Knowledge Foundation in memory of his mother, the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award honours individuals whose work reflects compassion, service to humanity, and transformative leadership.

SEWA accepts this recognition with gratitude and humility. This honour belongs to the millions of women workers whose courage, solidarity, and everyday leadership continue to build stronger families, resilient communities, and a more inclusive and peaceful future.

We thank the SRK Knowledge Foundation and the distinguished jury for this recognition.

09/06/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀!!

As climate change intensifies, it is informal sector women workers who face some of its harshest impacts – on their livelihoods, on incomes, on health and in growing uncertainties. Yet these women are not waiting for solutions. They are leading them.

Organizing with Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA, these poor women are using the lessons from their lived experiences to build climate resilience through their campaign, focusing on awareness, adaptation, social protection, and access to climate finance.

This publication by the International Labour Organization traces SEWA member’s journey of piloting a Parametric climate insurance product and a Climate Welfare Facility - an innovative approach that combines financial protection, climate education, and community-led resilience building.

The document showcases how a pilot reaching 21,000 women workers has today grown into a comprehensive climate resilience initiative supporting hundreds of thousands of women across India. Through climate risk protection, climate finance, early warning systems, climate education, and community-led resilience building, SEWA is working to ensure that women can protect and rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the face of increasing climate shocks.

This work is a key pillar of SEWA’s Building Cleaner Skies (Swacch Akash) Campaign, which seeks to create climate-resilient communities led by women and driven by grassroots solutions.
Because for poor informal sector women workers, climate resilience is not just about recovering from shocks. It is about ensuring that women have the resources, institutions, and collective strength to thrive despite them, safeguard their dignity, and secure the future of their families.

Read the full report here: https://www.ilo.org/publications/sewa%E2%80%99s-journey-towards-climate-resilience-building-climate-resilience

Self Employed Women's Association-SEWA

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