Struggle and Development Among Self Employed Women: A Report on the Self Employed Women's Association, Ahmedabad, India

摘要

The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) of Ahmedabad, India - a trade union established in 1972 by a group of women service workers, home-based producers, vendors, and casual laborers - has had amazing success in bettering its members lives. This study describes SEWA's birth as part of India's large Textile Labor Association (TLA), its evolution over time, and its efforts to address members' problems and needs. Emphasis is on showing why certain organizational efforts succeeded while others did not. The study also discusses SEWA's effects on members, their families, and their businesses; on the development of leadership; and on policy. Finally, it analyzes SEWA's usefulness as a model for organizing self-employed workers.