Hundreds of millions of women worldwide work in the so-called informal sector (e.g. a job without regular income and benefits). Many women are trapped in this sector because they lack education, skills, or have other commitments which prevent full-time or regular work. In India nine out of ten working women are in informal work – with no rights, medical insurance, contract, or guaranteed minimum consequently, they and their families remain trapped in poverty. But in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, Ella Bhatt, a woman who has earned the nickname of "the gentle revolutionary", has set up a unique organization – the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA). SEWA has not only helped thousands find a way out of the poverty trap, it has given them access to financial services, and a way of making themselves heard by Government.
Type Audio Date issued 03 June 2009 Regions and countries covered India Unit responsible ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Subjects women workers, poverty alleviation, informal economy Download English - mp3 5904 KB