Taking action: achieving gender equality and empowering women

Reduce gender inequality in employment
99
and the risks associated with economic and other shocks to household livelihoods
(Lund and Nicholson 2003).
Increasingly, NGOs are providing social protection to informally employed
workers to fill gaps in public provision of health insurance, child care, and
disability. The Self-Employed Women’s Association in India is one example
of an NGO effort, alone and in partnership with the Indian government, to
deliver innovative services to address the needs of informal workers (box 7.1).
Although NGO efforts are essential, maintaining an adequate level of social
Box 7.1
The Self-Employed
Women’s
Association of
India addresses
the needs of
the informally
employed
Source: Blaxall 2004.
The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) was started in 1972 in Gujarat, India,
as a membership organization for women who work in the informal sector. Membership
growth since the mid-1980s has been rapid, averaging 25–35 percent a year. In 2003, with
700,000 members, SEWA had branches in rural and urban areas in seven Indian states.
SEWA’s flexible organizational structure incorporates a range of activities to address
the needs of informally employed women:
• A trade union that helps women organize, negotiate better working conditions, and
gain fair access to markets. In 2003 the urban branch of the union had 166,000
members in more than 70 occupations or trades, including home-based workers,
producers, manual laborers, and service providers. In rural areas the union focuses
on creating alternative employment opportunities for its 370,000 members.
• SEWA cooperatives help their members produce and market their goods and services.
The cooperatives ensure quality control and provide pricing and marketing
services. In 2003 there were more than 100 SEWA cooperatives. Gram Mahila
Haat, one of the more successful cooperatives, had arranged sales of products
valued at more than $3.5 million by 2002, for its 23,000 members in 1,000 producer
groups.
• SEWA Bank, launched in 1974 and with more than 300,000 member shareholders,
is a pioneer of micro-credit. In 2003 it had deposits of $13.9 million in 200,000
accounts and 50,000 outstanding loans totaling $3 million. The average loan size
is $60 at an interest rate of 20 percent. The loan repayment rate is 96 percent.
• SEWA provides basic healthcare services, usually organized around midwives and
healthcare worker cooperatives. SEWA also encourages its members to use government-run
clinics and government-sponsored health and immunization campaigns.
In 2002 nearly 300,000 people obtained healthcare services through SEWA teams,
and SEWA provided low-cost medicines worth $250,000 through medical shops in
Ahmedabad hospitals.
• In 2002 SEWA had 128 childcare centers serving 6,300 children.
• SEWA provides insurance through SEWA Bank and government insurance companies,
covering more than 100,000 members in 2002. It covers maternity benefits,
illness, death, and loss of property.
• SEWA provides training to members who want to upgrade their homes. SEWA
helped members rebuild homes after the 2001 earthquake. In 2002 a total of
2,600 homes were built with ownership registered in the woman’s name.
• SEWA also works to improve infrastructure services. An electrification initiative,
initially started with 150 households, provided legalized electricity and cheaper
and better service to the community and is now expanding.