School of Science and Technology for poor self employed women

1. School of Science and Technology for poor self employed women SEWA PRMGE, WBIPR, and Gender & Rural Development TG 29th July 2003

2. SEWA • Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is a Member-based Organisation of Poor informal sector women workers. It is a confluence of three movements- Labour, Co-operative and Women’s movement. It is in existence since 1972.

3. Presence in India • SEWA’s rural initiative started in 1989 and since then 2/3rd of its membership is rural. Currently 3,50,000 members in 14 districts of Gujarat • This covers 50% of the state • SEWA has 7,20,000 members across India from which 5,30,000 membership is from Gujarat. 5,30,000 members

4. Categories • SEWA’s membership falls in four major categories 1. Home based workers i.e. incense stick makers, kite makers, quilt makers 2. Vendors i.e. vegetable vendors, street hawkers 3. Manual Labourers i.e. construction workers 4. Service providers and producers i.e. salt workers, milk collection, gum collectors

5. SEWA’s Goal’s Full Employment Self Reliance

6. SEWA’s Integrated Approach • Organising women for collective strength; bargaining power • Capital formation at the household level through access to financial services • Capacity Building to stand firm in the competitive market- access to market infrastructure, access to technology information, education, knowledge, relevant skills • Health care and child care, shelter and insurance to combat chronic and acute risks faced by members and their families • Asset Building

7. Current scenario • Globalisation and ICT revolution combined are raising the level of challenges to survive in the competitive world. • The most weaker section will be still underprivileged to use such tools and techniques • How to Introduce technology to the informal sector women workers and reduce their risk and vulnerability • Use of ICT for generating alternate employment opportunities • Community Development through access to information- developing Community Learning Centres

8. Community Learning Centre • SEWA has developed Community Learning centre in Patan district. This centre will consist: a. Imparting training to our members on basic computer usage b. Training on customised software (for respective activities) c. Training on using internet d. Maintaining data in computer for research/ innovative activity etc. e. Providing training through Sat Comm programmes f. Integrating Sat Comm programmes with IT (Video Conferencing) g. Initiating Tele-medicine by way of linking with different hospitals (video-conferencing) h. Collecting relevant content for database and website • This centre is going to integrate computer trainings and these trainings will be imparted by the spearhead team • Currently the spearhead team is under going the training of trainers

9. Need for setting CLC • The CLC serves a variety of demands • Clearinghouse for communication and information dissemination -Centre is the communication and coordination hubs of the village -Centre holds imp village information such as the village wide database, village profiles -Staff members based in centre will coordinate in collection of such info and organise and analyse the data • Database Management • Market research • Access to Govt Information • Coordination of Disaster preparedness activities • Hub for capacity-building and livelihood activities • Provide supportive services • Training to the school children as well as youth. All the activities that are discussed earlier will be integrated in-depth in CLC

10. School of Science and Technology for Self Employed Women • SEWA has set up the school of science and technology in each district with the help of Government community based polytechnics • This school will impart need based technical trainings which can be used by our members in their vocation (on practical grounds) • The result from such trainings will be: a. Enhance employment opportunities in the village b. maintenance and repairs of their tools c. hence, cutting the expenses d. Alternate employment opportunities, hence strengthening the livelihoods • These trainings will be theoretical as well as practical and if need be then can be imparted in the fields also i.e. hand pump repairing and maintenance • SEWA has thus identified more than 50 such technical trainings which will directly create impact on their livelihoods

11. Computer Education • SEWA received 400 used computers • These computers have been installed in 14 districts of Gujarat and are used for creating awareness of computers amongst rural and urban poor, building their capacities and thus provide them livelihood security • It is very crucial to impart training to the members before introducing such technology at their door-steps hence…….. • First Step: Computer training • SEWA has designed a very basic but intense modules for these women as well as a computer book especially for semi-literate members • We did a pilot training with the help of this book and the response was unbelievable

12. Computer Education • The trainees were all semi-literate • Doing different kinds of work i.e. salt work, craft work, health care, child care etc • All these women were spear head team leaders • These women are now imparting training to other members in their village • Till now 60 members have been trained

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16. Some Experiences of SEWA • Teleconferencing/ Video conferencing/ Sat-com / VSAT for institutional capacity building • To enhance the knowledge base of women workers • To highlight and bring the voices of the women workers directly to the policy makers, resource organisations • For disaster preparedness • To act as resources organisation in other countries such as Afghanistan by sharing of experiences and lessons learnt • Voices of the poor • Afghanistan Diaspora • Video Conferencing with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and SEWA • Video Conferencing within SEWA’s network (rural and urban both offices)

17. Immediate Plans • Imparting training to 15000 members within 3 years • For this Training approx 450 teachers will be trained, who will then impart training to the village members • To achieve this target SEWA has scheduled 8 batches in the first phase • These 15000 members will impart training to more than 50000 members in the span of 5 years • Imparting training on assembling computer, repairing and maintenance • Developing customised software for few activities of micro enterprise • Networking 3 districts with SEWA HQ • Developing intranet in Gujarati • Introducing mobile ATM facility especially in rural areas

18. The very first Computer Learning Centre was inaugurated by his Excellency President of India Shri. A P J Abdul Kalam

19. “Theliphone”: Mobile/ Cell phones for informal sector workers • Along with the Computer Learning Centre Kalamji inaugurated a new scheme for our members introduced by SEWA Bank know as “Theliphone”- a mobile • This scheme is boon for the producer groups i.e. mobile used by the vegetable vendors • Women are provided loan of Rs. 5000,with an easy installment of Rs.50 per month to be repaid in 3 years or so (approx) • Women are imparted training on the operation of handset, available schemes as well as operator services • SEWA also helps them in operating mobile through their customised booklets

20. Future Plans • Providing training to 15000 members in the span of 3 years • Developing Computer Learning Centres in each district • Networking all the 14 districts with one another and SEWA HQ • Introducing kiosks in all the Community Learning Centres (CLC) • Introducing Video Conferencing in all the CLC

21. What Next • Inputs and expertise on consolidating and scaling up IT operations • To design the IT road map for poor informal sector women workers • To undertake study on impact of IT on women’s economic empowerment “Women and IT” • Networking

22. THANK YOU