As a research organisation, our main objective is to support the organising, program development, and advocacy campaigns of SEWA with an ultimate goal of using our research findings to influence policies and advocate for the rights and welfare of women in the informal economy.
Our research is not merely an academic exercise but rather a practical tool to guide action and bring about positive change for women in the informal economy. The focus has always been on the life and work of the poor self-employed women workers, an action-oriented approach, seeking impact at the policy level.
Through our research initiatives, we strive to understand how government policies and the economic development process impact the lives of women working in the informal sector. We focus on grassroots issues and local development contexts, and document alternative solutions that have been successful at the local level.
Our research findings have been used as the basis to influence policymakers and call for widespread policy change at national and international levels. Our research has also been used by other organisations to formulate, test, or evaluate their own interventions.
In 1971, before SEWA was even realised, SEWA’s founder, Elaben Bhatt, was approached by several migrant women working as head-loaders in Ahmedabad, who wanted her help in finding shelter for themselves. During this meeting, Elaben’s questions happened to unveil the pattern of exploitation by the traders who cheated and underpaid these women. In order to confront the traders, Elaben conducted a quick survey that documented the scope and the nature of exploitation.
Since then, research has been an integral part of SEWA. This first survey helped to pave the way for all of SEWA’s following research, which has played a crucial role in shaping and developing SEWA, not only as an organisation but also as a movement.
The Research Division of the IASEW builds the capacity of its members by grassroots researcher training, thus building a cadre of grassroots researchers and establishing a decentralised research structure.
Started by the Academy in 1998, this had manifold benefits on IASEW’s research– not only does the training of members build their capacity, it gives them self-confidence and marketable skill. It makes them more analytical and critical in their observation and understanding.
They are also ideally placed to reach out to other informal women workers as they do not need to worry about building rapport with the subjects of IASEW’s research studies. As they are from the same community, they are able to efficiently gain more reliable results.
Being located in an active-organisation, our research is uniquely positioned to be acted upon.
Focus on linking grassroot issues and local development context to government policies and economic development process.
Our work encourages others to study the informal economy. Their findings have been used to influence policy makers and call for change.
Members have been trained to be an integral part of the research team and establish a decentralised research structure. They bring local knowledge, insight and structure.
IASEW conducts various types of socio economic research, from impact evaluations to technical studies, longitudinal studies, baseline and end-line evaluation studies of SEWA’s internal programmes, socio-economic surveys, and diagnostic studies.
Our main focus is on linking grassroots issues to the local development context, to government policies and to the economic development process in general.
Research Methodologies
Research Outputs
Research Training and Collaboration
Ascertaining the Impact of Trade and Trade Agreements on the Informal Sector
Low Female Employment in the period of High Growth: Insights from Primary Survey in U.P. & Gujarat
Vendors and Service Providers
Challenges of Organising the Migrant Workers: Reflections from Delhi
Occupational Health and Security Study
Research Studies on Various Socio-
Economic Topics
Publications in collaboration with state, national & International Organisations
Monitoring & Evaluation Studies of around 350 SEWA interventions & campaigns
Every organisation and every person has the capacity to make a concrete difference in informal workers lives. Your contribution makes a tangible impact to our cause, providing resources for education, training, and advocacy programs. Join us in our efforts towards building a dignified future for all.
IASEW is the focal point for all of SEWA’s training, capacity building, research and communication efforts.