Authors and thinkers
Thinker

Ela Bhatt

3 key ideas, each explained in our own words.

Ela Bhatt: Organising Informal Workers

  1. IDEA 1

    Visibility for the invisible

    Bhatt founded SEWA in 1972 to organise self-employed women such as vendors and home workers, who had no union or legal recognition.

  2. IDEA 2

    Finance as empowerment

    The SEWA Bank gave poor women access to savings and credit. Financial inclusion builds bargaining power.

  3. IDEA 3

    Many small strengths

    She favoured local, member-owned organisations over big top-down programmes. Strength comes from many people acting together.

All 3 ideas from Ela Bhatt: Organising Informal Workers →

Debates featuring Ela Bhatt

Are cities the engines of progress or of inequality?Cities drive growth vs Cities widen gapsHas globalisation helped or hurt developing countries?It lifted millions vs Gains were unevenWhy are so few women in India's workforce, and what fixes it?Remove barriers vs Create the right jobs

Go deeper with Ela BhattAsk questions, argue with the ideas and practise using them, free.

Open in the app