The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was established in 1972 in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. Under the auspices of the Textile Labor Association (TLA), SEWA began to fight for the rights of the majority of women workers in the city- those involved in the self-employed sector of the economy. This included women who were headloaders , blockprinters , and vegetable vendors.
Under the leadership of Ela Bhatt, SEWA broke away from the TLA in 1976. One of the most important branches of the organization is the SEWA Bank which extends credit to its members and offers the mainly illiterate women the opportunity improve their economic situation by supplying them with services that they would not find at a traditional bank.
Video SEWA, which was established in 1986, provides the women with the opportunity to learn to make videos about themselves and issues that are important to them.
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