Sewa Trade Facilitation Center

Roots of STFC

Year Event Description Objective(s)

1917 Entity Formed: Textile Labour Union (TLA), Ahmedabad

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Initiated By: Mahatma Gandhi and Anasuyaben Sarabhai To secure and maintain fair working conditions and wages for textile workers

Late 1960's Entity Formed: TLA Women's Wing

________________________________________Initiated By: Ela Bhatt To provide labor-rights to textile workers' wives and daughters who were working as informal workers

1971 Entity Formed: TLA, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad To demand fair treatment towards self employed women and to fight for being entitled to legal rights as workers

1972 and following years Initiated By: Ela Bhatt

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Entity Formed: SEWA granted trade union status

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SEWA created separate trade cooperative for vegetable vendors, home-bases workers and manual laborers________________________________________

Starting development services needed for and by SEWA members

To work for women empowerment, upliftment and recognition

For health and child care, literacy training and technical education

1979 Urban based union began to organize self-employed rural women working in agriculture trade ----

1981 SEWA separated from TLA due to differences in ideology

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The confluence of three movements - the labour movement, the co-operative movement and the women's movement gave birth to SEWA : A Revolution Advocated for policy changes

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To ensure full employment defined as security of food, income and social status at the household level

1989 Initiated By: Reema Nanavaty________________________________________

New SEWA branches in rural areas:

Banaskantha ________________________________________Rural base formed at Radhanpur To explore the women's traditional embroidery skills and bring them into organized sector

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To provide sustainable income throughout