Ela Ramesh Bhatt (born on September 7, 1933 in the city of Ahmedabad in India) is the founder of India's Self-Employed Women's Association (or SEWA). Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ahmedabad (અમદાવાદ Amdāvād, Hindi: अहमदाबाद) is the largest city in India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country SEWA is the Self-Employed Women's Association of India a trade union founded in 1972 after a split in the Textile Labour Association (TLA A lawyer by training, Dr. Bhatt is a respected leader of the international labour, cooperative, women, and micro-finance movements who has won several national and international awards.
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Early life
Ela Bhatt's childhood was spent in the city of Surat. Her father, Sumant Bhatt, had a successful law practice. Her mother, Vanalila Vyas, was active in the women's movement. Bhatt attended the Sarvajanik Girls High School in Surat from 1940 to 1948. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the M. T. B. College in Surat in 1952. Following graduation Ela entered the Sir L. A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad. In 1954 she received her degree in law and a Gold Medal for her work on Hindu Law. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. She then taught English for a short time at Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University, better known as SNDT, in Mumbai. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial But in 1955 she joined the legal department of the Textile Labour Association (TLA) in Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad (અમદાવાદ Amdāvād, Hindi: अहमदाबाद) is the largest city in
TLA and SEWA
In 1956, Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt, who is currently a faculty at the Gujarat Vidyapeeth University in Ahmedabad. After working for sometime with the Gujarat government, Ela was asked by the TLA to head it's women's wing in 1968. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. In this connection she went to Israel where she studied at the Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives in Tel Aviv for three months, receiving the International Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives in 1971. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel She was very much influenced by the fact that thousands of women related to textile worker worked elsewhere to supplement the family income, but there were state laws protecting only the industrial workers and not these self-employed women. So with the co-operation of Arvind Buch, the then president of TLA, Ela Bhatt undertook to organize these self-employed women into a union under the auspices of the Women's Wing of the TLA. Then in 1972 the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was established with Buch as president and she herself as the general-secretary,
Other work and awards
She was one of the founders of Women's World Banking in 1979 with Esther Ocloo and Michaela Walsh, and served as its chair from 1980 to 1998. Esther Afua Ocloo (April 18 1919 - February 8 2002) was a Ghanaian Entrepreneur and pioneer of Microlending. She currently serves as the Chair of the SEWA Cooperative Bank, of HomeNet, of the International Alliance of Street Vendors, and of WIEGO. Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO is a global Research and Policy analysis network linked to the SEWA -inspired international
She is also a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. The Rockefeller Foundation (RF is a prominent Philanthropic organization and Private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue New York City.
She was granted an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters by Harvard University in June 2001.
Ela Bhatt was also awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1985, and the Padma Bhushan in 1986. Padma Shri (also spelt Padma Shree, Padmashree, Padma Sree and Padma Sri) is an award given by the Government of India generally India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Padma Bhushan award is an Indian civilian decoration established on January 2, 1954 by the President of India. She was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1977 and the Right Livelihood Award in 1984. The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF based in New York City. The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, is an award that is presented annually usually on December 9 to honour those "working on
The Elders
On July 18, 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, and Desmond Tutu convened a group of world leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Graça Machel, DBE (born Graça Simbine on 17 October 1945 in Incadine Gaza Province, Mozambique) is the third wife of former South Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African Cleric and activist who rose to Worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent Nelson Mandela announced the formation of this new group, The Elders, in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.
Archbishop Tutu will serve as the Chair of The Elders. The founding members of this group also includ Graça Machel, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus. Graça Machel, DBE (born Graça Simbine on 17 October 1945 in Incadine Gaza Province, Mozambique) is the third wife of former South Kofi Atta Annan, GCMG (born 8 April 1938 is a Ghanaian Diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations (ɡru hɑɭɛm brʉntlɑn (born Gro Harlem 20 April 1939 Oslo) is a Norwegian politician diplomat and Physician, and an international leader James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 Li Zhaoxing ( born October 20, 1940) was the Foreign minister of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2007 Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (Máire Mhic Róibín born 21 May 1944 was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997 and the United Nations Muhammad Yunus (মুহাম্মদ ইউনুস pronounced bn-Latn ''Muhammôd Iunus'' (born 28 June 1940 is a Bangladeshi Banker and Economist
“This group can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken,” Mandela commented. “Together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair. ”
The Elders will be independently funded by a group of Founders, including Sir Richard Branson, Peter Gabriel, Ray Chambers; Michael Chambers; Bridgeway Foundation; Pam Omidyar, Humanity United; Amy Robbins; Shashi Ruia, Dick Tarlow; and The United Nations Foundation. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950 in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English Musician and Songwriter. The United Nations Foundation was created in 1998 with Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $ 1 billion gift to
Writings
- Bhatt, E. R. (2006). We are poor but so many: the story of self-employed women in India. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195169840
Further reading
- India’s 50 Most Illustrious Women (ISBN 81-88086-19-3) by Indra Gupta
External links
- Biography, National Resource Centre for Women, Government of India
- Biography of Ela Bhatt on the official site of the Magsaysay award
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