Water shortage is a problem in Vimala Parmar’s village in Anand, India. Even if there are hand-pumps, they were either broken or non-functional. She used to see SEWA organisers in her village and thought to herself, “Can a young widow like me become a member of SEWA?” Eventually, she overcame her hesitation and became a […]
Veena Panchal, a single mother of two, used to worry about how she can provide a good life for her children. She became a member of SEWA where she received training on sewing. She invested in a sewing machine and started earning income for her family. Gradually, she built her sewing skills by attending […]
Protecting the Livelihood and Health of Women Workers amid the Global Pandemic When a lockdown threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of informal workers, SEWA ensures the continuity of the small businesses of these uniquely vulnerable groups. Members of Udyogini-Cooperative, a member of SEWA Madhya Pradesh, are using their skills during this tough crisis […]
India was placed on lockdown starting 24 March 2020. Borders were closed in some areas. All states were affected due to the lockdown but the following states have been highly affected: Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. As the number of positive […]
Purnimaben of Bodeli Taluka of Gujarat says that the farmers from Panej and Chundali villages of Chota Udaipur district grew cotton. The harvested cotton was in the field when the lockdown was announced. It was peak harvest time and farmers were waiting for the labourers. With the lockdown, the movement of the male farmers was […]
I. COVID-19 and the Informal Sector Presently, India is passing through the local transmission stage of the COVID-19 pandemic where SEWA’s informal sector workers are hardest hit among all. With no income for the daily wage earners, they fear hunger will kill us before the virus. The country is under a total lockdown with only […]
March 23, 2020 On behalf of 93.7 % of the workforce of the informal economy, we appreciate the prompt initiatives taken by the Central and State Governments to curtail the effects of COVID-19. In India, there are 50 crores poor and vulnerable informal workers who are daily wagers like contractual workers, casual workers, construction workers, agriculture workers, home-based workers especially in textile and garment manufacturing, beedi workers, self-employed workers […]
“Coming from a poor family, feeding my children was a daily challenge for me, so I never really dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. But today, I am a proud social entrepreneur. I am a RUDIben, selling grains, spices, and other products to rural households. These products are produced by informal sector producers and small and […]
