RURAL ORGANISING, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AT SEWA

INFORMAL ECONOMY AND RURAL SCENARIO 93% of the workforce is in the informal economy. – Poorest of the poor - Unrecognized – Long hours of work with low returns – Low / limited Access to Equipments, Markets – Restricted Social Protection – Very low inclusion in Policy Dialogue - Labour or Economic Policies Majority of population in India is dependent on agriculture and is rural based. Surplus of labour and less employment opportunities in Rural Areas Even today an average rural household depends on multiple livelihood activities for survival Face several problems related to – income security, social security and job security. – Limited access to productive resources and services, markets and marketing facilities. The challenge is sustainable livelihood for the rural poor by creating / strengthening employment opportunities for the rural poor.

Established in 1972 by Shri Elaben Bhatt Over 1.3 million poor, self employed women as members Largest recognized national level union of informal sector workers Confluence of three movements – Trade Union Movement – Labour movement – Women’s movement SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organise women workers to achieve full employment i.e. work security, income security and social security Self Reliance – individually and collectively : economically independent and capable of making their own decisions

Home Based Workers: working from their homes for a trader, contractor, are own account, piece rate workers Vendors or Hawkers who invest their labour in vending and earn their living MEMBERS’ Manual labourers and service providers like agricultural labourers, construction workers, contract labourers, handcart pullers, head-loaders, domestic workers and laundry workers Producers who invest their labour, skill and resources and take the risk of production and marketing to earn their living PROFILE

Capacity Building To stay competitive in the market Social Security Mitigation of stress crisis and chronic health problems to protect erosion of income and assets Organizing Collective organized strength to influence policy making SEWA’s Approach This integrated approach defines women as owners and managers of their own organizations. Together all the elements help in disaster mitigation and preparedness Capital Formation Encouraging Enterprise Ownership Individually and collectively

Communities themselves are the owners and managers of their trade and activities. – Area-specific and Demand Driven - Identify employment opportunities based on existing skill based or asset based and initiates economic interventions – Community themselves designs and implements all activities – Livelihood activities are structured according to local needs and regional characteristics – primacy of local ownership and knowledge - Village women are trained to augment the skills necessary to competently administer their own organizations and cooperatives – Facilitates the Rural Communities to build and operate their own Organisation by forming Co-operatives and District Level Federations – Building capacity of local economic member owned organizations through increasing managerial Capacities – Convergence with existing government and non-government programs and schemes. – Lateral Learning and Experience Sharing STRATEGY FOR RURAL ORGANISING

SEWA’s AGRICULTURE CAMPAIGN 2/3rd of SEWA members - rural areas - dependent on agriculture : directly or indirectly Comprises of small and marginal farmers, landless agricultural sharecroppers, casual labourers working in agriculture-allied activities. They are increasingly vulnerable due to ………….. – Increasing cost of Inputs – Lack of Access to Credit – Insecure Profits – Increased Dependence on Chemical Fertilizers – Environmental Degradation – No Standardization in Quality of Seeds and Government Certification – Increased Competition – Infrastructure Constraints : Lack of access to Technology, Absence of adequate irrigation facilities, Inadequate Transportation and Storage Facility for Collection and Procurement, Non-availability of modern tools and equipments Lack of Technical Awareness – outdated practices Lack of Market Access and information Decrease in Demand for Labour  Increased mechanization of farming  Change in cropping pattern  Increasing Labour supply

SEWA’s Integrated Agriculture Campaign Focuses on …….. Organise small and marginal farmers and farmers for voice and representation and negotiate terms of trade and safe guards for the small and marginal farmers Agri – Finance : seasonal and long term loans for seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs, Agriculture Inputs (Seeds, Fertilizers) : Promotion of local seed production, Subsidized fertilizers to farmers collective and direct subsidies to the farmers Infrastruture Facilities : Establishing Grain bank and seed bank Managed by communities themselves facilitated with technical experts - Seed produce by farmers are being procured by the seedbank for furthur distribution to the farmers; Tools and Equipment Library Risk Mitigation : weather insurance Capacity Building : Technical Trainings, Agriculture Insurance, use of vermicompost fertilizers, organic farming Technology Market Access / Linkages : Ensuring assure market at fair price for Agriculture produce - promote direct marketing / linkages of agricultural produce. Work on issues related to land Development of Agriculture & allied Activities : Eco-Regeneration Programme, Production of Vermicompost fertilizers, Food Processing Promote local varities for Production and marketing under the local brand Farm schools to involve younger generation to earn, learn and make agriculture a sustainable and related to the agriculture base i.e. Food processing, treatment to standing crops, farm planning etc.

Weavers Agri. Producers Gum Collectors Salt Producers RUDI Multi Trading Company – established with an aim to provide food security to poor farmers as well as provide direct market access to small and marginal farmers to the end consumer while simultaneously strengthen the village economy Serves the rural community : producers and consumers The model: Procure agricultural commodities/other goods from member rural producers Employ poor women members for processing and packaging of goods Sales and distribution the finished product. Initially to member consumers Integrated value chain To enhance the earnings of agriculture activities (small and marginal farmers) Create multiple opportunities for livelihood Provide food security through quality and affordable supply of Agricultural products to the rural members RUDI has achieved a turnover of Rs. 3 Crores RUDI : RURAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK – AN INITIATIVE OF SEWA’S AGRICULTURE CAMPAIGN – INCREASING COLLECTIVE STRENGTH OF FARMERS

SEWA TRADE FACILITATION CENTRE STFC was established by the artisan members of SEWA to turn their activity in to the commercial venture with the main objective of promoting access to national and global markets. STFC registered as a Section 25 company, owned and managed by the women artisans. It is a unique company where artisans themselves are the suppliers and shareholders. Plays a facilitator role by providing a whole range of business development inputs ranging from market readiness, market linkages, market intelligence, product development, quality standardization, R & D, Information systems, access to capital, state of the art technology, to its member-producers to help them become ‘Market Ready’. 15,000 artisans who are the members of the company are also the shareholders of STFC. STFC has an annual turnover of Rs. 25,000,000.

LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ENABLING LIVELIHOOD SECURITY Market Led Skill Building Conducted for more than households who are semi skilled workers to enable them set- up their own micro enterprises leading to an increase in the employability as well as an increase in the income Includes aspects like technical, marketing and financial for the members to start their own enterprises. Trainings for the youth in emerging areas such as (1) Vision care management (2) hospitality (3) garment structure and garmenting (4) retailing (5) paramedical (6) para veterinary (7) water technicians etc. Green Energy and Green Livelihoods 139,665 members earn Average Annual total income of Rs. 1,175 million Trained countless women in water conservation, well repair, nursery raising, fodder growing, vermicompost production, and other environmentally friendly and economically beneficial activities. Biomass, which was earlier burnt, is now being used as a source of organic manure. More than 13 lakh farmer families have been benefited from these eco-friendly campaigns, 26 Lakh hectares of land are brought under organic cultivation and approximately 20,18,149 trees have been successfully planted and maintained

SEWA MANAGERS SCHOOL : BUILDING A CADRE OF BAREFOOT MANAGERS The SEWA Manager’s School (SMS) began in 2005 as a capacity building institution within SEWA with the goal of facilitating economic self-sustainability through building a cadre of grassroots managers. Currently there are no such institutes who cater to the managerial capacity building of the grass root women. Objective - To develop the managerial capacity of members thereby building the capacity of member’s own economic institutions which further enables to increased and sustained livelihood and allow economic organisations to move towards financial self-sustainability. Focuses around capacity building in general management, planning and budgeting, monitoring, evaluation and human behavior, particularly leadership and communication skills. The major thrust has been on creating sustainable livelihoods for members and their organizations through trainings in developing a business perspective and micro enterprise management. Manager’s School imparts business management trainings through mini MBA course to the group leaders, members and executive committee members of the association. Till date 8,00,000 members have been trained by the Manager School.

 Trade Representatives  Executive Board Members  Operates and Manages  More than 6000 Producers / Self Help Groups  More than 100 Co-operatives and their federations  11 District Association and Federation  Marketing organisation  Owner of Small Micro-Enterprises  Rural traders in RUDI Multi Trading Company  Shareholders in Trade Facilitation Center  Students / Faculties at SEWA Managers’ School  Using Technologies like Computers, Mobiles, Sattelite Communications, V-Sat, Skype etc.  Barefoot Water Technicians, Health workers etc.  Working towards Mitigation of Climate Change POOR WOMEN MEMBERS OF SEWA ARE……..

LESSONS LEARNT AND WAY FORWARD SEWA’s experiences says that for generating sustainable livelihood for the poor rural women workers it is very important that the approach should be two pronged leading to upscaling and mainstreaming of poor women workers and their organisations. – Thrust on building local skills as well as organisations owned by the community themselves – Building supply chain and managerial capacity leading to sustainable livelihood generation.

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