SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organizing Women Home Based Beedi Rollers

SEWA Experience

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

About SEWA

Central Trade Union-1972

Organizes women in the informal sector for full employment and Self reliance

Total Membership base over 1.7 million women workers – 14 States of India

Struggle and Development

Organizing and Cooperatives

Organizing Approaches

Area Approach

Trade Approach

Campaign Approach

Need Based Approach

Integrated Approach

Formation of Cooperatives/economic

institutions/Specialized groups.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organizing Methodology

Door –to –Door Contact Campaigns Area meetings Socio- economic study Awareness raising through various trainings-

Workers Education Class, Membership Education, leadership Dev. trainings and legal trainings

Development of Cadre of leaders Formation of trade committees –regular meetings Trade Council Creation of Cooperatives/ Specialized groups Welfare Boards Mass meetings

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organizing around Beedi trade …..

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Beedi trade

Beedi trade is the home based trade. It is pre

dominant by the women

Beedi trade is the only trade in the informal sector

covered by the National law

There is a Beedi Welfare Board and the workers

can have access to the Beedi welfare schemes

SEWA is organizing Beedi workers since last 25

years SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Campaign Approach

The issues that cut across all the trade taken up as campaigns.

The campaigns are decided by the leaders in the trade committee every three years

Two types of campaigns are decided- short term and long terms.

The campaigns are decided trade wise and cutting across the category.

The campaigns are taken at Local, State and National level.

The strategies are then decided around the campaigns.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Beedi Campaigns

Membership Wage Increase Bonus Identity card Easy and sure Access of

Beedi welfare schemes Better functioning of the

Beedi welfare Board National Policy for the Home

based workers Ratifying ILO convention on

the Home based Similar Wages in all areas

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Impacts

Increased and strengthened the membership Gujarat - 21,114 Ajmer - 3,711 Bihar - 4,000

In earlier days rolled Beedis were collected at midnight. The timings of Beedi collection were changed to morning.

The undue reduction of Beedis was stopped.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Impacts

175 Beedi workers got the provident fund of Rs. 15,00,000.

Wages were increased from Rs 2/- to Rs 92 in Ahmedabad and Rs 100/- in Ajmer gradually.

110 houses of Beedi workers were built by SEWA in participatory process with workers - Subsidy was given under the Bidi welfare Scheme .

SEWA is a member of Central Beedi Advisory committee.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Thank you

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)