Having succeeded in joining the coveted Indian Administrative Services, Reema stepped out for a year to come and directly work with the poor women members of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). As a manager, she developed the regional rural water supply scheme of Government of Gujarat and SEWA into an integrated water project, and made women central to water decisions. She stayed on with SEWA and expanded the project into an ongoing Women, Water and Work campaign of 1,00,000 women.
Reema Nanavaty : Having succeeded in joining the coveted Indian Administrative Services, Reema stepped out for a year to come and directly work with the poor women members of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). As a manager, she developed the regional rural water supply scheme of Government of Gujarat and SEWA into an integrated water project, and made women central to water decisions. She stayed on with SEWA and expanded the project into an ongoing Women, Water and Work campaign of 1,00,000 women.
When elected by 2,84,000 members of SEWA as their General Secretary in the year 1999, Reema has expanded SEWA membership to new heights of 5,30,000 making SEWA the single largest union of informal sector workers in India. Reema currently manages US$ 6 million strong economic activities of SEWA through a federation of 100 cooperatives, nine district associations of artisans, salt farmers, and forestry workers, and a direct outlet of 12000 artisans.
Reema pioneered in initiating the RUDI initiative and forming a for profit company, the first ever business organization of SEWA to help small rural farmers get fair prices for their goods, creates food processing and sales jobs for disadvantaged rural women, and provides high quality agricultural and household products to rural and urban consumers.
Reeema is currently leading women’s economic rehabilitation programme Bagey Khazana where more than 1000 war affected poor widows are being provided vocational training to ensure livelihood security.
