How Can Federations Support Women’s Cooperatives for Financial Resilience and Sustainable Development?
Across the globe, informal employment represents over half the workforce. In India alone, it constitutes 99% of agricultural and 81.6% of non-agricultural employment. Among these informal workers, 23% are self-employed women who face challenges related to limited opportunities, inadequate social protection, and low representation. Over the last three decades, cooperatives, collectives, and Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) organizations have sought to empower women-owned enterprises by fostering solidarity and enhancing their bargaining power in policy advocacy.
The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has been a pioneer in advancing women’s cooperatives to promote sustainable development and climate resilience in informal communities. Starting with SEWA Bank, India’s first women’s cooperative bank, SEWA has since organized over 150 women-led cooperatives. In 1992, these efforts expanded with the formation of the SEWA Cooperative Federation, which provides business development, capacity-building, financial services, and market services to sustain and grow women-owned enterprises. This Federation links member cooperatives to essential support like working capital, insurance, and public procurement opportunities.
In a recent study supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), SEWA Cooperative Federation evaluated the services and structures needed to sustain women’s collective enterprises and informal workers’ cooperatives, revealing the critical role of Federations in policy advocacy, financial viability, and establishing innovative cooperatives. The study underscores that Federations empower cooperatives to gain visibility, grow sustainable businesses, and achieve just transition from informal to formal employment, aligning with ILO’s goals.
To mark National Cooperative Week (14th – 20th November 2024) and the upcoming International Cooperative Alliance Conference and Global Assembly, this webinar will explore challenges and opportunities for women-owned collective enterprises. It will also include the launch of an ILO report on SEWA’s Women Enterprise Support System and its model of cooperation as a replicable framework for SSE organizations in India and the Global South.
Key Topics and Questions
- Challenges and Opportunities: What are the challenges women-owned collective enterprises face, and how can Federations like SEWA provide resilience and sustainability?
- Support Structures: Which financial services, organizational structures, and capacity-building programs are most essential for the financial resilience and market adaptability of women-led cooperatives?
- Replication of Best Practices: What insights from SEWA’s cooperative model could be adopted in other parts of India and globally? This panel will highlight case studies demonstrating the supply chain management and business planning efforts of SEWA’s member cooperatives.
Presentation:
Findings from the ILO-supported SEWA Cooperative Federation study will outline key lessons on financial viability, inclusive business models, and climate resilience for cooperatives. The discussion will focus on actionable insights from the study on how Federations are enabling financial resilience and ensuring women’s empowerment through inclusive growth strategies. You can read this report here.
With an inclusive panel of government representatives, domain-specific organisations, and our cooperative leaders, we will unpack concepts to strengthen the ecosystem, enabling women’s collectives to become financially viable and sustainable.
PANELS TOPICS:
- Challenges and opportunities for women-owned and managed collective enterprises
- Structures and services needed to support collective enterprises towards financial viability and sustainability
- Lessons on promoting Federations that can be adapted and replicated in India and the Global South
Event Details
Date: 14th November 2024
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm IST
To register click here.
