Ela Bhatt, Well-Known Women's Rights Activist Passes Away At 89: Facts About The Padma Bhushan Recipient

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The SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) founder, Ela Bhatt, died on Wednesday due to age-related issues, her associates said. Her work in the field of women's empowerment has earned her international recognition, as she was a Padma Bhushan recipient and a pioneer in the area.

"It is with profound grief that we announce the passing away of our beloved and respected founder, Smt. Elaben Bhatt, a pioneer in advocating for women workers' rights, we strive to carry her legacy forward," SEWA Bharat tweeted [1].

A cooperative organiser, activist, and Gandhian, Ela Ramesh Bhatt was the founder of the Self Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA), a union that represents the rights of more than one million workers in India.

Ela Bhatt Facts

Ela Bhatt: Early Years

1. Bhatt was born in Ahmedabad, India.

2. Vanalila Vyas, her mother, was a prominent member of the women's movement and secretary of the All India Women's Conference.

3. In 1954, Ela was enrolled in the Sir L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad and received a Gold Medal for her work on Hindu law.

4. In 1955, Ela Bhatt joined the Textile Labour Association (TLA) legal department in Ahmedabad, where she taught English for a short time.

Ela Bhatt: Important Works And Activism

1. Ela Bhatt was greatly influenced by the fact that thousands of female textile workers worked elsewhere to supplement the family income, but state laws only protected those who were solely industrial workers, not these self-employed women.

2. In 1979, Bhatt co-founded Women's World Banking (WWB), a global network of microfinance organisations that assist poor women around the world.

3. In 1972, Ela Bhatt and a small group of other women founded the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA).

4. Together with fellow Elders Desmond Tutu, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Mary Robinson, Bhatt travelled to Bihar, India, in February 2012. In addition to visiting Jagriti, a youth-led project aimed at preventing child marriage, the Elders (a group formed to tackle some of the most challenging problems in the world) also encouraged the state government to take action.

Ela Bhat: Awards And Accolades

1. In 1977, she received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, and in 1984, she received the Right Livelihood Award.

2. In 1979, Bhatt founded Women's World Banking with Esther Ocloo and Michaela Walsh and served as its chair from 1980 to 1998.

3. In 1985, Ela Bhatt was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, and in 1986 she was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

4. In June 2001, Harvard University awarded Bhatt an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.

5. In 2010, Bhatt received the Niwano Peace Prize for her efforts in empowering poor women in India.

6. In 2010, Bhatt received the Global Fairness Initiative Award from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her contribution to ensuring dignity and independence for more than a million poor women in India.

7. In 2011, Ela Bhatt was honoured with the prestigious Radcliffe Medal for her efforts to uplift women, which has significantly impacted society.

8. In 2011, For her lifetime achievements in empowering women through grassroots entrepreneurship, Ela Bhatt was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

9. In 2012, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Université libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Georgetown University.

10. Yale University also awarded her an honorary doctorate.

11. In 2012, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to Ela Bhatt as one of her heroes. In her words, "I have a lot of heroes and heroines around the world, and one of them is Ela Bhatt, who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association many years ago in India".