On the second week of my “Leadership in Action” summer I worked with SEWA, Kerala (Self Employed Women’s Association). SEWA is a national organisation that began as a trade union in 1972 with the purpose of providing more self-employed women with opportunities to make their own money. Its founding originates from the Women’s Wing of the Textile Labour Association, TLA, India’s oldest and largest union of textile workers founded in 1920 by Anasuya Sarabhai and Mahatma Gandhi. The purpose of the Women’s Wing was to provide training to women in “traditional” work: sewing, spinning, knitting, embroidery. SEWA has replicated this structure nationally - growing its members to encompass women of many different trades from street vendors to bamboo weavers. It continues to represent unorganised or “informal” female workers. 

During my time working with SEWA our group stayed at the SEWA Rural Centre, designed by renowned British Indian Architect Laurie Baker. Over the course of the week we visited the different SEWA Kerala craft clusters. These craft clusters covered everything from paper making to bamboo weaving to pottery. To conclude the week our group presented a series of suggestions on how to utilise the Rural Centre facility and how to better market the SEWA products produced by the women. We managed to launch their Instagram page! In all, an inspiring week of meeting and learning from fabulous women.