8. Women-to-Women Cooperation: Learnings from SEWA

SEWA’s relationship with the sisters of Africa has been long standing. Groups of African sisters from various organizations have visited SEWA for exposure cum training programmes since the early 1990s. The African delegations learnt about SEWA’s approach towards economic rehabilitation through the setting up of women’s own economic organizations and women-led value chains, especially in agro-food processing. This has helped in replicating SEWA’s long-standing value-based work in countries like Ethiopia, Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, etc. The African Development Bank invited SEWA to be a part of the Annual General Meeting held in their home state, Gujarat, India, in 2017. SEWA shared their experiences with African organizations during the panel discussions as well as at the side events. SEWA has taken cognizance of the many similarities between the women it works with in India and Africa, in terms of the challenges they face for trade and improving their economic situation. SEWA organized a round table conference at the Annual General Meeting of the African Development Bank held in Gujarat, India in 2016 to establish the nexus between energy, agriculture, work and women, and its impact on sustainable agriculture. SEWA-Africa relations are on an equal footing and offer opportunities with a potential for mutual learning. SEWA proposes a SEWA-Africa Women Economic Partnership which can focus on three specific areas: women’s access to ownership of ecosystem-based agriculture, women’s ownership of renewable energy products and women’s access to capital to strengthen their livelihoods.