SEWA Bharat is part of the national SEWA movement. Established in 1984, it is a national federation of SEWA organizations of women working in the informal economy. SEWA Bharat emerged out of the need to address the SEWA movement’s challenges with geographical expansion and coordination. SEWA Bharat is comprised of a family of SEWA organizations to further informal women workers’ rights, livelihoods, financial independence, education, health and social security.

SEWA Bharat’s Role

Strengthen smaller SEWAs towards their independence by helping them plan and execute new programs.
Develop new SEWAs by identifying the potential for setting up new SEWA organizations around India.
Facilitate linkages through experience sharing between existing SEWAs and other NGOs, connecting SEWAs with government programs, and guiding market linkages for informal women worker’s livelihood development.
Build a national identity for SEWA in order to advocate for the rights of women workers across India.

SEWA Bharat’s Goals

At SEWA we organize workers to achieve their goals of full employment and self-reliance through the strategy of struggle and development. The struggle is against the many constraints and limitations imposed on them by society and the economy, while development activities strengthen women’s bargaining power and offer them new alternatives. Practically, the strategy is carried out through the joint action of union and cooperatives.

Full employment means work that provides economic security, food security and social security.
Self-reliance aims to support women towards being autonomous and self-reliant both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability. Self-reliance is the basis of sustainability that is essential at the individual basis and also for SEWA’s women’s collectives, organizations, and cooperatives.