About us

SEWA Movement

“Change, to be real, has to come from the people.” — Ela R. Bhatt

SEWA Delhi is part of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), founded by Ela R. Bhatt in Ahmedabad in 1972. SEWA is a movement of women workers in India’s informal economy—street vendors, domestic workers, home-based workers, construction workers, waste recyclers, agricultural workers and many others whose work is essential to our economy, yet often remains unrecognised.

SEWA Delhi

SEWA Delhi began in 1999 with a group of vegetable vendors in Jahangirpuri. Over the years, the movement grew as women from different trades and communities came together with a shared aspiration for dignity, recognition and secure livelihoods. In 2006, SEWA Delhi became registered as an independent trust, strengthening its institutional foundation while continuing to remain rooted in women-led organising.

Today, SEWA Delhi works with women across the city, including those engaged in street vending, domestic work, home-based work and waste recycling. Through organising, livelihood support, skills development, social security, financial inclusion and collective voice, SEWA Delhi works alongside women to build stronger livelihoods and contribute to a more just and inclusive city.

While organising began in a small locality, other women soon joined as they shared common livelihoods, concerns, and goals. SEWA Delhi now covers 11 areas of the city, including Jahangirpuri and Bhalswa (North-West Delhi); Raghubir Nagar (West Delhi); Sunder Nagari, Nand Nagri and Seemapuri (Shahdara District); Rajiv Nagar and Mustafabad (North-East Delhi); New Ashok Nagar (East Delhi); Harkesh Nagar (South-East Delhi); and Sangam Vihar (South Delhi).

Our vision

Full Employment and Self-Reliance for every woman worker.

Mission

To organise women workers in the informal economy and enable them to achieve full employment and self-reliance through collective strength, leadership, skills, livelihood opportunities and access to social security.