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 […]
AFA regularly conducts virtual sharing sessions on how family farmers are affected by the COVID-19 issues and on how their organizations try to respond to the challenges they face. The sharing sessions are meant to bring solidarity among our members and to learn and be inspired by the initiatives of others. In this article, […]
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 […]
Farmers and fishers are the hardest hit during this global crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries decided to close their borders for the time being to contain the spread of the virus, and consequently, this affected the livelihood of farmers and fishers. Lockdowns and quarantines resulted in a lack of buyers, lack of […]
GUJARAT, INDIA – Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has produced and distributed as many as 5 lakh masks for use in the battle against COVID-19. The organization, with about 1.7 million women workers in about 18 states, started making masks as early as March 18, ahead of the nationwide lockdown. “Women living in rural areas can’t […]
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 […]
