Ela Bhatt, born on September 7, 1933, in Ahmedabad, India, was an activist for equality in the workforce. She earned a degree in English and was first in her class at Sir L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad. In the 1960s, Bhatt began representing “trade union workers who were fighting for fair wages in the budding textile industry.” At the time, mill workers, who were mostly men, “were protected by labor laws and enjoyed benefits, but that was often not the case for women, who were paid almost nothing for jobs like transporting bundles of cloth on their heads.” Bhatt noticed that women had no protection under the law, unlike men. So, she took it upon herself to found the Self-Employed Women’s Association. Her mission was to offer health insurance and retirement accounts to women, and teach them spinning, pottery, and embroidery. What’s most remarkable about her journey was her ability to find an overlooked minority and create a solution to empower them.
Eventually, over 2 million members from India and other countries joined. As her cause grew more and more prominent, Ela Bhatt was awarded multiple different awards that exemplified her excellence. As her prominence grew, so did her influence. She was eventually appointed to the upper house of India’s Parliament in 1986 and headed the National Commission on Self-Employed Women. Equally as impressive, Ela became part of the Elders, an organization formed by Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela whose mission is to untie global leaders around peace, justice, and human rights. Her struggle against inequity wasn’t an easy one, but her passion and resilience propelled her foward, and emphasized the importance of equality. Whether you were part of her organization or not, an advance in “gender justice” is a win for not just for those she affected, but for all women. Seeing leaders like Ela Bhatt could inspire others globally to follow in her footsteps. She was a strong example of female leadership that could incentivize and motivate oppressed women to speak up. As more movements become visible, a domino effect will be created. Women empower women and by celebrating Ela Bhatt’s life, we are also expressing gratitude to her for what will be - as future movements should honor her leadership and carry on her legacy.
Information from the New York Times Article: Ela Bhatt, Advocate for Women Workers in India, Dies at 89