For more than three decades, SEWA Cooperative Federation has worked alongside informal women workers to build and strengthen collective enterprises that are owned, governed, and led by women themselves. This publication documents that journey, tracing the evolution of the Federation from a support mechanism for member cooperatives in Gujarat to a Women’s Enterprise Support System that nurtures women-led enterprises across sectors and geographies.
Drawing on the experiences of cooperatives in agriculture, handicrafts, health, childcare, insurance, labour, finance, and services, the report explores how women’s collective enterprises create pathways to economic security, leadership, and self-reliance. It highlights the practical systems that make these enterprises sustainable, including capacity building, business development, financial management, research, communications, incubation, and policy advocacy.
At a time when informal workers continue to face economic insecurity, climate risks, digital exclusion, and unequal care responsibilities, the report offers lessons from SEWA’s experience on how collective enterprise can strengthen livelihoods, expand opportunities, and enable women to participate more fully in economic and social decision-making. It serves both as a reflection on 32 years of practice and as a resource for practitioners, policymakers, and organizations seeking to strengthen women’s collective enterprises around the world.
