Meet two of the women leaders advocating for change on Capitol Hill

Jyoti Macwan, the Secretary-General of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India, has dedicated her life to empowering women and advocating for their social and economic justice and rights.

Born in the rural district of Anand in Gujarat, India, Jyoti grew up in a family deeply involved in tobacco farming and processing. Her mother joined SEWA as a member over 45 years ago, recognizing the benefits of collective organization and the importance of raising workers’ issues. Her father later secured a job in a transport company in the city and away from his family, but his income was insufficient to support their large family.

“My family suffered all the difficulties and struggles that a poor working-class family would face,” Jyoti explains, “especially with seven brothers and sisters.”

As a result, Jyoti began to moonlight at the beedi, the tobacco processing factory, where her mother worked, while also helping to take care of her younger siblings. Balancing her education with work in the factory, Jyoti’s most desperate moments throughout her childhood were marked by the struggle to help her parents make ends meet and ensure that she and her siblings did not go to bed hungry.

However, these challenges were also interspersed with hope, as her mother’s determination and SEWA’s support provided a pathway out of poverty.

“I saw the benefit of getting organized, which inspired me because since my mother was organized at SEWA, she was able to make me study and understand the importance of education,” Jyoti recalls.

Jyoti’s formal journey with SEWA began in 1986, after she completed her degree in Commerce and joined full-time to coordinate various initiatives for workers like herself. SEWA was born as a trade union of poor self-employed women in 1972 in response to women’s struggles with erratic jobs and low wages.
In India, 93% of the labor workforce comes from the informal economy, economic activities that are not regulated by the government, but still add market value, yet these workers are often unrecognized. SEWA’s work aims to give voice, visibility, and validity to these workers. “We are not just women or sisters or wives; we are workers who contribute to our families, our society, and the economy of our country,” says Jyoti.

This recognition is crucial for empowering women and ensuring their contributions are valued.

SEWA’s mission is twofold: achieving full employment and building self-reliance for its 3 million members. “Full employment means work security, income security, food security, and social security,” explains Jyoti. “Self-reliance involves women gaining economic independence and decision-making power, as well as upskilling and building assets in their names.”

SEWA’s innovative approach of integrating unionism with the cooperative movement has been instrumental in empowering women. “At SEWA, we are very much need-based and demand-driven. The needs have to come from the ground,” Jyoti emphasizes.

For instance, when SEWA identified that many of its members faced significant challenges due to supply chain disruptions, they listened to the workers to prioritize and address these issues.

By directly engaging with the community, SEWA developed tailored solutions that improved the stability of the workers’ income and work conditions. This grassroots approach ensures that SEWA’s initiatives – like the SEWA Cooperative Bank, established in 1974 as the first of its kind for poor women, and RUDI, an agribusiness enterprise managed by over 250,000 small-scale farmers – are relevant and effective.
Jyoti attributes much of her learning and inspiration to SEWA’s founder, Ela Bhatt, who passed away in 2022.

“I’m really thankful to our founder Elaben because she was a guiding force… she still is,” Jyoti says. Ela Bhatt, often referred to as the “gentle revolutionary,” was deeply influenced by Gandhian principles of non-violence, self-reliance, and community-based activism.

“She [Elaben] made us understand that poverty is a kind of violence… SEWA is fighting that poverty with values,” Jyoti explains. Bhatt’s philosophy emphasized that addressing poverty, a man-made issue, required more than economic solutions; it required a values-driven approach that respected human dignity and promoted social justice.

This approach has profoundly shaped SEWA’s mission and Jyoti’s leadership. “We are not fighting the government or the employer; we are raising our voices to fight poverty,” she says. By embodying Gandhi-like values of non-violence and self-reliance, SEWA’s work transcends traditional union activities, creating a holistic model of empowerment that supports women to uplift themselves, their families and their communities.

Under Jyoti’s stewardship, SEWA has not only focused on securing fair wages and better working conditions but has also focused on capacity building, leadership development, and social security for its members. This multifaceted approach empowers women to become self-reliant and active participants in their communities, addressing not just economic issues but also social and personal growth for women to not only survive, but thrive.

Jyoti’s dedication and leadership have been recognized through her continuous re-elections as the General Secretary of SEWA since 2005. Her vision for the future remains focused on empowering the next generation of young women and ensuring their rights are upheld.

“It is only under the leadership of women that work security and income security come into the family, which sustain the livelihoods of the family as a whole,” Jyoti asserts. “So, it’s not only just women, but through their empowering [other] women, through their leadership, the family livelihood is sustainable. I think that brings peace to the family, to society, and to the nation too.”

Jyoti Macwan’s journey with SEWA is a testament to the power of collective action, values-driven leadership, and the relentless pursuit of economic empowerment for women. Through SEWA, she continues to inspire and mobilize women to fight poverty, build assets, and create a better future for themselves and their communities.

Esther Penunia

Despite being a self-proclaimed “city girl,” Esther Penunia’s journey has led her to champion the rights and livelihoods of rural farmers across Asia. Her work as the Secretary-General of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) has not only transformed communities but also challenged the status quo, highlighting the crucial role of women in agriculture.

Born and raised in the bustling city of Manila, Philippines, Esther’s early life was far removed from the verdant fields she would later champion. As the eldest of seven siblings, she witnessed firsthand the struggles and sacrifices her parents made to escape poverty in their village, Leyte. Her parents encouraged Esther to pursue higher education as a route to escape poverty, pushing her towards a career that would provide a stable, decent livelihood. “My father wanted to really make decisions on behalf of the family, but of course, I was a bit stubborn,” Esther says. “He wanted me to be an accountant, and I took up social work.”

While pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in social work, Esther was assigned to a fishing village for her final semester. This experience, coupled with her social work with marginalized communities, sparked a profound connection to rural life and its challenges. In the span of 20 years in various capacities in non-profit and community organizing work, Esther has honed her skills in training, research, networking, and organizational management. But she’s been no stranger to gender discrimination, particularly in agriculture, which would later become central to her advocacy.

“My experiences taught me that development should be inclusive and equitable, especially for those in rural areas,” Esther says. “Women farmers face double the challenges [that men farmers face] because we are still affected by the gender stereotypes.”

In 2003, Esther joined the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) as its Secretary-General. Under her leadership, AFA has expanded to include 22 member organizations across 16 countries. Esther’s strategic vision and grassroots approach have empowered thousands of small-scale farmers, particularly women, fostering sustainable agricultural practices and advocating for farmers’ rights on national and international stages. She has been instrumental in establishing women’s committees within AFA’s member organizations. These committees ensure that women farmers have a platform to influence policies and decisions affecting their lives.

As the Secretary-General, she has been at the forefront of initiatives that support and uplift smallholder farmers, particularly women, who form the backbone of agricultural communities.

“What we realized is that when you give women some kind of economic power, then they become more confident, they feel more empowered, and they know their worth. They are able to assert their independence,” Esther says.

Her work with AFA is a testament to this belief, as she tirelessly advocates for policies and programs that provide women farmers with the resources, training, and support they need to thrive.

Her work has not gone unnoticed. Esther has become a respected voice in international forums, advocating for the rights and needs of smallholder farmers and rural women. She has successfully influenced legislation in the Philippines and Nepal to support joint land ownership for women. Esther credits her empathetic nature for developing the ability to bridge the gap between women farmers’ experiences in the field and global policy discussions, making her a valuable leader in the fight for sustainable rural development.

Esther envisions a future where sustainable agriculture, and the empowerment of women farmers go hand in hand. “Sustainable farming,” she explains, “means you earn from your farm without harming the environment.” In fact, it’s not just about not harming, but also helping to “restore the health of the planet, your soil, your environment. You earn while helping to restore.”

She emphasizes the critical role women farmers play in achieving this vision. “Women in agriculture are responsible for many activities, often balancing nurturing crops with nurturing their children and family. It’s a balancing act, but they do it with strength.”

Reflecting on her personal future, Esther shares that she and her husband are currently partnering with a farming family to develop a 2-hectare upland farm through sustainable, integrated, diversified, organic, agro-ecological practices. This project embodies her commitment to the principles she advocates for and highlights her dedication to hands-on involvement in sustainable agriculture.

In every step of her journey, Esther Penunia embodies the spirit of resilience and the power of grassroots action. Her life’s work is a testament to the belief that when women are empowered, entire communities benefit. Through her tireless efforts, Esther continues to pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future for rural women across Asia.