'My Health: My Asset and My Right' - The Self Employed Women’s Association

The SEWA health approach includes promoting health and preventing illness through health education, immunisations, sanitation activities, family planning, drug therapy and referrals, occupational health care, promotion of low cost traditional medicines and creating health centres. SEWA's health activities are carried out by district level health teams and cooperatives.

Health, family planning, rights.

Self-employed workers constitute 93 percent of the Indian workforce. They do not have regular salaried employment with welfare benefits: no weekly day off, sick leave, pension, nor any maternity benefits. They are the poorest of workers, and yet, they account for 63 percent of gross domestic product in India. Because of the insecure nature of their work, maintaining good health is essential for survival. SEWA, a union of self-employed women workers has developed a health promotion project to cure and prevent illness and to create structures to ensure holistic health.