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{{short description|Founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA)}}
{{Short description|Indian cooperative organiser (1933–2022)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Ela Bhatt
| name = Ela Bhatt
| image = MJ-Ela-Bhatt-October-2013.jpg
| image = MJ-Ela-Bhatt-October-2013.jpg
| caption = Ela Bhatt, October 2013
| caption = Bhatt in 2013
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1933|9|7}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1933|9|7}}
| birth_place = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| birth_place = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2022|11|2|1933|9|7}}
⚫
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| death_place = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India
⚫
| nationality = Indian
| education = B.A., LL.B.; Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives;
| education = B.A., LL.B.; Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives;
| alma_mater = Sarvajanik Girls High School, [[Surat]]; M.T.B. College, [[Surat]]; Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives, [[Tel Aviv]]
| alma_mater = Sarvajanik Girls High School, [[Surat]]; M.T.B. College, [[Surat]]; Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives, [[Tel Aviv]]
| occupation = Lawyer, philanthropist
| occupation = Lawyer, philanthropist
| organization = [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India|SEWA]], [[The Elders (organization)|The Elders]]
| organization = [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India|SEWA]], [[The Elders (organization)|The Elders]]
| known_for = founded [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India|SEWA]]
| known_for = Founded [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India|SEWA]]
| spouse = Ramesh Bhatt
| spouse = Ramesh Bhatt
| awards = [[Padma Shri]], [[Padma Bhushan]], [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]], [[Right Livelihood Award]], [[Niwano Peace Prize]], [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]], [[Padma Bhushan]], [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]], [[Right Livelihood Award]], [[Niwano Peace Prize]], [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]]
| website = {{URL|sewa.org/}}
| website = {{URL|sewa.org/}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| office = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Rajya Sabha]]
| constituency = [[List of nominated members of Rajya Sabha|Nominated]]
| termstart = 12 May 1986
| termend = 26 September 1988
}}
}}
}}


'''Ela Ramesh Bhatt''' (born 7 September 1933) is an [[Indian Co-operative Network for Women|Indian cooperative]] organiser, activist and [[Gandhian]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Duncan|first1=Natricia|title=Empowering Indian women through employment|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/jun/27/female-empowerment-india-cooperative-unions|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=27 June 2014}}</ref> who found the [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India]] (SEWA) in 1972, and served as its [[general secretary]] from 1972 to 1996. She is the current [[Chancellor (education)|chancellor]] of the [[Gujarat Vidyapith]]. A lawyer by training, Bhatt is a part of the [[Labour movement|international labour]], [[cooperative movement|cooperative]], women, and [[micro-finance]] movements and has won several national and international awards, including the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (1977), [[Right Livelihood Award]] (1984) for "helping home-based producers to organise for their welfare and self-respect" and the [[Padma Bhushan]] (1986).<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>
'''Ela Ramesh Bhatt''' (7 September 1933 – 2 November 2022) was an [[Indian Co-operative Network for Women|Indian cooperative]] organiser, activist and [[Gandhian]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Duncan|first1=Natricia|title=Empowering Indian women through employment|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/jun/27/female-empowerment-india-cooperative-unions|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=27 June 2014}}</ref> who founded the [[Self-Employed Women's Association of India]] (SEWA) in 1972, and served as its [[general secretary]] from 1972 to 1996. She was the [[Chancellor (education)|chancellor]] of the [[Gujarat Vidyapith]] from 7 March 2015 to 19 October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chancellors of Gujarat Vidyapith |url=https://www.gujaratvidyapith.org/chancellor.htm |access-date=2 November 2022 |website=Gujarat Vidyapith}}</ref> A lawyer by training, Bhatt was a part of the [[Labour movement|international labour]], [[cooperative movement|cooperative]], women, and [[micro-finance]] movements and won several national and international awards, including the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (1977), [[Right Livelihood Award]] (1984) for "helping home-based producers to organise for their welfare and self-respect" and the [[Padma Bhushan]] (1986).<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015}}</ref>


==Early life and background==
==Early life and background==
Ela Bhatt was born at [[Ahmedabad]] in India. Her father, [[Sumantrai Bhatt]], was a successful [[lawyer]], while her mother, Vanalila Vyas, was active in the women's movement and also remained [[secretary]] of [[All India Women's Conference]], which in turn was founded by [[Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay]]. Second of three daughters, her childhood was spent in the city of [[Surat]], where she attended the Sarvajanik Girls High School from 1940 to 1948. She received her [[Bachelor of Arts degree]] in English from the M.T.B. College ([[South Gujarat University]]) in [[Surat]] in 1952. Following graduation Ela entered the Sir [[L.A. Shah Law College]] in [[Ahmedabad]]. In 1954 she received her degree in law and a Gold Medal for her work on [[Hindu law]].<ref name=ramon>{{cite web | title = Awardees Biography | url = http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 | access-date = 15 December 2013 | publisher = Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160610230624/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 | archive-date = 10 June 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
Bhatt was born at [[Ahmedabad]] in India. Her father, Sumantrai Bhatt, was a successful [[lawyer]], while her mother, Vanalila Vyas, was active in the women's movement and also remained [[secretary]] of [[All India Women's Conference]], which in turn was founded by [[Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay]].{{cn|date=November 2024}}
The middle child of three sisters, her childhood was spent in [[Surat]], where she attended the Sarvajanik Girls High School from 1940 to 1948. She received her [[Bachelor of Arts degree]] in English from the M.T.B. College ([[South Gujarat University]]) in [[Surat]] in 1952. Following graduation, she entered [[L.A. Shah Law College]] in [[Ahmedabad]]. In 1954, she received her degree in law and a gold medal for her work on [[Hindu law]].<ref name=ramon>{{cite web | title = Awardees Biography | url = http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 | access-date = 15 December 2013 | publisher = Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160610230624/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 | archive-date = 10 June 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Bhatt started her career teaching English for a short time at [[SNDT Women's University]], better known as [[SNDT]], in [[Mumbai]]. In 1955 she joined the legal department of the [[Textile Labour Association]] (TLA) in [[Ahmedabad]].
Bhatt started her career teaching English for a short time at [[SNDT Women's University]], better known as [[SNDT]], in [[Mumbai]]. In 1955 she joined the legal department of the [[Textile Labour Association]] (TLA), India's oldest unions for textile workers, in [[Ahmedabad]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ela Bhatt {{!}} Biography & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ela-Ramesh-Bhatt |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>


===TLA and SEWA===
===TLA and SEWA===
In 1956, Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt (now deceased). After working for sometime with the [[Gujarat government]], Ela was asked by the TLA to head its women's wing in 1968. In this connection she went to [[Israel]] where she studied at the Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives in [[Tel Aviv]] for three months, receiving the International Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives in 1971. She was very much influenced by the fact that thousands of female textile workers worked elsewhere to supplement the family income, but there were state laws protecting only those who were solely industrial workers and not these self-employed women. So with the co-operation of Arvind Buch, the then president of TLA, Ela Bhatt undertook to organise these self-employed women into a union under the auspices of the Women's Wing of the TLA. Then in 1972 the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was established with Buch as president and she served as its general-secretary from 1972 to 1996.<ref name=weigo/>
In 1956, Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt (now deceased). After working for sometime with the [[Gujarat government]], Ela was asked by the TLA to head its women's wing in 1968. She went to [[Israel]] where she studied at the Afro-Asian Institute of Labour and Cooperatives in [[Tel Aviv]] for three months, receiving the International Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives in 1971. She was very much aware that thousands of female textile workers worked elsewhere to supplement the family income, but state laws protected only industrial workers and not these self-employed women.


With the co-operation of Arvind Buch, then-president of the TLA, she undertook to organise these self-employed women into a union under the auspices of the Women's Wing of the TLA. Then in 1972 the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was established with Buch as president and she served as its general-secretary from 1972 to 1996.<ref name=weigo/>
⚫
===The Elders: 2007–present===
⚫
On 18 July 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, [[Nelson Mandela]], [[Graça Machel]], and [[Desmond Tutu]] convened a group of world leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. Nelson Mandela announced the formation of this new group, [[The Elders (organization)|The Elders]], in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.


⚫
===The Elders: 2007–2022===
“This group can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken," Mandela commented. "Together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.”
⚫
On 18 July 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, [[Nelson Mandela]], [[Graça Machel]], and [[Desmond Tutu]] convened a group of world leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. Mandela announced the formation of this new group, [[The Elders (organization)|The Elders]], in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

[[Kofi Annan]] serves as Chair of The Elders and [[Gro Harlem Brundtland]] as Deputy Chair. The other members of the group are [[Martti Ahtisaari]], Ela Bhatt, [[Lakhdar Brahimi]], [[Fernando Henrique Cardoso]], [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Hina Jilani]], Graça Machel, [[Mary Robinson]] and [[Ernesto Zedillo]]. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are Honorary Elders.


[[Kofi Annan]] served as Chair of The Elders and [[Gro Harlem Brundtland]] as deputy chair.
The Elders work globally, on thematic as well as geographically specific subjects. The Elders' priority issue areas include the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]], the [[Korean Peninsula]], [[Sudan]] and [[South Sudan]], [[sustainable development]], and [[Women's rights|equality for girls and women]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theelders.org/our-work |title=The Elders: Our Work |publisher=TheElders.org |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref>
The Elders work globally, on thematic as well as geographically specific subjects. The Elders' priority issue areas include the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]], the [[Korean Peninsula]], [[Sudan]] and [[South Sudan]], [[sustainable development]], and [[Women's rights|equality for girls and women]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theelders.org/our-work |title=The Elders: Our Work |publisher=TheElders.org |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref>


Ela Bhatt is particularly involved in The Elders' initiative on equality for women and girls, including on the issue of [[child marriage]]. In February 2012, Bhatt travelled to [[Bihar]], India with fellow Elders Desmond Tutu, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson. Together, the Elders visited Jagriti, a youth-led project aimed at preventing child marriage, and encouraged the state government's efforts to tackle the issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theelders.org/article/elders-momentum-building-tackle-child-marriage-india |title=The Elders: Momentum is building to tackle child marriage in India |publisher=TheElders.org |date=9 February 2012 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220040110/http://www.theelders.org/article/elders-momentum-building-tackle-child-marriage-india |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theelders.org/article/welcoming-my-fellow-elders-india |title=Welcoming my fellow Elders to India |author=Ela Bhatt |publisher=TheElders.org |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820081602/http://www.theelders.org/article/welcoming-my-fellow-elders-india |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Bhatt was particularly involved in The Elders' initiative on equality for women and girls, including on the issue of [[child marriage]]. In February 2012, Bhatt travelled to [[Bihar]], India with fellow Elders Desmond Tutu, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson. Together, the Elders visited Jagriti, a youth-led project aimed at preventing child marriage, and encouraged the state government's efforts to tackle the issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theelders.org/article/elders-momentum-building-tackle-child-marriage-india |title=The Elders: Momentum is building to tackle child marriage in India |publisher=TheElders.org |date=9 February 2012 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220040110/http://www.theelders.org/article/elders-momentum-building-tackle-child-marriage-india |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theelders.org/article/welcoming-my-fellow-elders-india |title=Welcoming my fellow Elders to India |author=Ela Bhatt |publisher=TheElders.org |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820081602/http://www.theelders.org/article/welcoming-my-fellow-elders-india |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A [[Gandhism|Gandhian]] practitioner of non-violence, Bhatt also travelled to the Middle East with Elders delegations in August 2009<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/world/middleeast/28bilin.html |title=In Village, Palestinians See Model for Their Cause |author=Ethan Bronner |work=New York Times |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref> and October 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-21/world/israel.jerusalem.flashpoint_1_jerusalem-mayor-nir-barkat-palestinian-mother-palestinian-man |title=East Jerusalem residents, 'Elders' meet |publisher=CNN.com |date=21 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111090527/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-21/world/israel.jerusalem.flashpoint_1_jerusalem-mayor-nir-barkat-palestinian-mother-palestinian-man?_s=PM%3AWORLD |archive-date=11 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=191636 |title='The Elders' call to lift Gaza blockade |work=Jerusalem Post|date=17 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref>


A [[Gandhism|Gandhian]] practitioner of non-violence, Bhatt also travelled to the Middle East with Elders delegations in August 2009<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/world/middleeast/28bilin.html |title=In Village, Palestinians See Model for Their Cause |author=Ethan Bronner |work=New York Times |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref> and October 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-21/world/israel.jerusalem.flashpoint_1_jerusalem-mayor-nir-barkat-palestinian-mother-palestinian-man?_s=PM:WORLD |title=East Jerusalem residents, 'Elders' meet |publisher=CNN.com |date=21 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111090527/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-21/world/israel.jerusalem.flashpoint_1_jerusalem-mayor-nir-barkat-palestinian-mother-palestinian-man?_s=PM%3AWORLD |archive-date=11 November 2010 |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=191636 |title='The Elders' call to lift Gaza blockade |work=Jerusalem Post|date=17 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref> In a blog post written for The Elders' website following the group's visit to [[Gaza City|Gaza]] in October 2010, Bhatt stated that non-violent struggle against injustice requires "more hard work than fighting" and that "it is the coward who uses weapons."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theelders.org/article/what-would-gandhi-say |title=What would Gandhi say? |author=Ela Bhatt |publisher=TheElders.org |date=19 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=6 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206205438/http://theelders.org/article/what-would-gandhi-say |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In a blog post written for The Elders' website following the group's visit to [[Gaza City|Gaza]] in October 2010, Bhatt stated that non-violent struggle against injustice requires "more hard work than fighting" and that "it is the coward who uses weapons."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theelders.org/article/what-would-gandhi-say |title=What would Gandhi say? |author=Ela Bhatt |publisher=TheElders.org |date=19 October 2010 |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=6 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206205438/http://theelders.org/article/what-would-gandhi-say |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The Elders are independently funded by a group of donors: Sir [[Richard Branson]] and Jean Oelwang ([[Virgin Unite]]), [[Peter Gabriel]] (The Peter Gabriel Foundation), [[Kathy Calvin|Kathy Bushkin Calvin]] (The [[United Nations Foundation]]), [[Jeremy Coller]] and Lulit Solomon (J Coller Foundation), Niclas Kjellström-Matseke (Swedish Postcode Lottery), Randy Newcomb and Pam Omidyar (Humanity United), [[Jeff Skoll]] and Sally Osberg ([[Skoll Foundation]]), Jovanka Porsche (HP Capital Partners), Julie Quadrio Curzio (Quadrio Curzio Family Trust), Amy Towers (The Nduna Foundation), Shannon Sedgwick Davis (The Bridgeway Foundation) and Marieke van Schaik ([[Nationale Postcode Loterij|Dutch Postcode Lottery]]). [[Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau|Mabel van Oranje]], former CEO of The Elders, sits on the Advisory Council in her capacity as Advisory Committee Chair of ''Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theelders.org/about/donors |title=The Elders: Donors|publisher=TheElders.org |access-date=7 March 2013}}</ref>
The Elders are independently funded by such donors as Sir [[Richard Branson]] and Jean Oelwang ([[Virgin Unite]]), [[Peter Gabriel]] (The Peter Gabriel Foundation), [[Kathy Calvin|Kathy Bushkin Calvin]] ([[United Nations Foundation]]), [[Jeremy Coller]] and Lulit Solomon (J. Coller Foundation), Niclas Kjellström-Matseke (Swedish Postcode Lottery), [[Jeff Skoll]] and Sally Osberg ([[Skoll Foundation]]), and Marieke van Schaik ([[Nationale Postcode Loterij|Dutch Postcode Lottery]]), among others. [[Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau|Mabel van Oranje]], former CEO of The Elders, sits on the Advisory Council in her capacity as Advisory Committee Chair of ''Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theelders.org/about/donors|title=Donors|publisher=TheElders.org|access-date=7 March 2013|archive-date=9 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509041051/http://theelders.org/about/donors|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt in 1956, subsequently the couple had two children, Amimayi (b. 1958) and Mihir (b. 1959).<ref name=ramon/> She currently lives in [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat with her family.
Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt in 1956, with whom she had two children, Amimayi (b. 1958) and Mihir (b. 1959).<ref name=ramon/> She lived in [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat with her family. She died on 2 November 2022, at the age of 89.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 November 2022 |title=SEWA founder Elaben Bhatt passes away |work=Desh Gujarat |url=https://www.deshgujarat.com/2022/11/02/sewa-founder-elaben-bhatt-passes-away/ |access-date=2 November 2022}}</ref>


==Awards and recognition==
==Awards and recognition==
She was one of the founders of [[Women's World Banking]] in 1979 with [[Esther Afua Ocloo|Esther Ocloo]] and Michaela Walsh, and served as its chair from 1980 to 1998. She has served as Chair of the SEWA Cooperative Bank, of HomeNet, of the International Alliance of Street Vendors,<ref>{{cite web|title=International Alliance of Street Vendors|url=http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/default.htm/|access-date=30 October 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704071338/http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/default.htm|archive-date=4 July 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and is former a board of directors of [[WIEGO]].<ref name=weigo>{{cite web| title = WIEGO Board of Directors Bios|publisher= WIEGO| url = http://wiego.org/wiego/wiego-board-directors-bios | access-date = 15 December 2013 }}</ref> She was also a trustee of the [[Rockefeller Foundation]].
Bhatt was one of the founders of [[Women's World Banking]] in 1979 with [[Esther Afua Ocloo|Esther Ocloo]] and Michaela Walsh, and served as its chair from 1980 to 1998. She has served as Chair of the SEWA Cooperative Bank, of HomeNet, of the International Alliance of Street Vendors,<ref>{{cite web|title=International Alliance of Street Vendors|url=http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/default.htm/|access-date=30 October 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704071338/http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/default.htm|archive-date=4 July 2008}}</ref> and was formerly on the board of directors of [[WIEGO]].<ref name=weigo>{{cite web| title = WIEGO Board of Directors Bios|publisher= WIEGO| url = http://wiego.org/wiego/wiego-board-directors-bios | access-date = 15 December 2013 }}</ref> She was also a trustee of the [[Rockefeller Foundation]].{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


She was granted an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters by [[Harvard University]] in June 2001. In 2012, she received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa from [[Georgetown University]] and an honorary doctorate from [[Université libre de Bruxelles]] in Brussels, Belgium.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130227002303/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/ahmedabad/31678973_1_ela-bhatt-big-ben-sewa "Three cheers for Gujarat’s big ben,"] Times of India, Ahmedabad, 12 May 2012. Available at</ref> She also holds honorary doctorates from Yale and University of Natal.
Bhatt was granted an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters by [[Harvard University]] in June 2001. In 2012, she received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa from [[Georgetown University]] and an honorary doctorate from [[Université libre de Bruxelles]] in Brussels, Belgium.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130227002303/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/ahmedabad/31678973_1_ela-bhatt-big-ben-sewa "Three cheers for Gujarat's big ben,"] Times of India, Ahmedabad, 12 May 2012. Available at</ref> She also held honorary doctorates from Yale and the University of Natal.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


Ela Bhatt was also awarded the civilian honour of [[Padma Shri]] by the Government of [[India]] in 1985, and the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1986. She was awarded the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] for Community Leadership in 1977 and the [[Right Livelihood Award]] in 1984.
Ela Bhatt was also awarded the civilian honour of [[Padma Shri]] by the Government of India in 1985, and the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1986. She was awarded the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] for Community Leadership in 1977 and the [[Right Livelihood Award]] in 1984.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


She was chosen for the [[Niwano Peace Prize]] for 2010 for her work empowering poor women in India.
Bhatt was chosen for the [[Niwano Peace Prize]] in 2010 for her work empowering poor women in India.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


On November 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honoured Bhatt with the Global Fairness Initiative Award for helping move more than a million poor women in India to a position of dignity and independence.
In November 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honoured Bhatt with the Global Fairness Initiative Award for helping move more than a million poor women in India to a position of dignity and independence.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


Ela Bhatt was honoured with the prestigious Radcliffe Medal on 27 May 2011 on Radcliffe day for her efforts in helping uplift women, which has had a significant impact on society.
Ela Bhatt was honoured with the prestigious Radcliffe Medal on 27 May 2011 on Radcliffe Day for her efforts in helping uplift women, which has had a significant impact on society.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-28 |title=Ela R. Bhatt to Receive Radcliffe Medal |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2011/04/radcliffe-medalist-ela-bhatt |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=Harvard Magazine |language=en}}</ref>


In November 2011, Ela Bhatt was selected for the [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]] 2011 for her lifetime achievements in empowering women through grassroots entrepreneurship.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130517195209/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-20/india/30421873_1_ela-bhatt-indira-gandhi-prize-sewa Ela Bhatt selected for Indira Gandhi Prize] ''Times of India.'' 20 November 2011.</ref>
In November 2011, Ela Bhatt was selected for the [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]] 2011 for her lifetime achievements in empowering women through grassroots entrepreneurship.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130517195209/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-20/india/30421873_1_ela-bhatt-indira-gandhi-prize-sewa Ela Bhatt selected for Indira Gandhi Prize] ''Times of India.'' 20 November 2011.</ref>


In June 2012, US Sectretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] identified Ela Bhatt as one of her 'heroine'. She said, "I have a lot of heroes and heroines around the world and one of them is Ela Bhatt, who started an organisation called the [[Self-Employed Women's Association]] (SEWA) in India many years ago".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130225215804/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-22/us/32368182_1_ela-bhatt-sewa-state-hillary-clinton Ela Bhatt is Hillary Clinton's 'heroine'] ''Times of India.'' 22 June 2012.</ref>
In June 2012, US Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] identified Ela Bhatt as one of her 'heroines'. She said, "I have a lot of heroes and heroines around the world and one of them is Ela Bhatt, who started an organisation called the [[Self-Employed Women's Association]] (SEWA) in India many years ago".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130225215804/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-22/us/32368182_1_ela-bhatt-sewa-state-hillary-clinton Ela Bhatt is Hillary Clinton's 'heroine'] ''Times of India.'' 22 June 2012.</ref>


==Writings==
==Writings==
Bhatt's book has been translated in [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Urdu]], [[Hindi]] and is currently being translated in French and [[Tamil language|Tamil]].
Bhatt's book has been translated into [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Urdu]], [[Hindi]] and is currently being translated into French and [[Tamil language|Tamil]].{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}


* Bhatt, E. R. (2006). ''We are poor but so many: the story of self-employed women in India''. Oxford, Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-516984-0}}
* Bhatt, E. R. (2006). ''We are poor but so many: the story of self-employed women in India''. Oxford, Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-516984-0}}
* Bhatt, E.R. (2015). [http://www.e-shabda.com/Anubandh-Ela-Bhatt-Research-English-9788172296759 Anubandh : Building Hundred Mile Communities]. Ahmedabad, Navjeevan Publishing House. {{ISBN|9788172296759}}<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ela Ben's '100-mile communities'…|url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sunday-special/columns/ela-ben-s-100-mile-communities-/167067.html|website = tribuneindia.com|access-date = 2015-12-08|date = 2015-12-06}}</ref>
* Bhatt, E.R. (2015). [http://www.e-shabda.com/Anubandh-Ela-Bhatt-Research-English-9788172296759 Anubandh : Building Hundred Mile Communities]. Ahmedabad, Navjeevan Publishing House. {{ISBN|9788172296759}}<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ela Ben's '100-mile communities'...|url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sunday-special/columns/ela-ben-s-100-mile-communities-/167067.html|website = tribuneindia.com|access-date = 8 December 2015|date = 6 December 2015}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 75: Line 87:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*''India’s 50 Most Illustrious Women'' ({{ISBN|81-88086-19-3}}) by Indra Gupta
*''India's 50 Most Illustrious Women'' ({{ISBN|81-88086-19-3}}) by Indra Gupta


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/5839/Interview-with-Ela-Bhatt Ela Bhatt&nbsp;– Truthseeker, an interview with Culture Unplugged]
* [http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/5839/Interview-with-Ela-Bhatt Ela Bhatt&nbsp;– Truthseeker, an interview with Culture Unplugged]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/world/asia/07bhatt.html?_r=1 An Empire for Poor Working Women, Guided by a Gandhian Approach] ''NY Times Profile''
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/world/asia/07bhatt.html?_r=1 An Empire for Poor Working Women, Guided by a Gandhian Approach] ''NY Times Profile''
* [http://nrcw.nic.in/shared/sublinkimages/109.htm Biography, National Resource Centre for Women, Government of India]
* [http://nrcw.nic.in/shared/sublinkimages/109.htm Biography, National Resource Centre for Women, Government of India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045613/http://nrcw.nic.in/shared/sublinkimages/109.htm |date=28 September 2007 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160610230624/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 Biography of Ela Bhatt on the official site of the Magsaysay award]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160610230624/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/biography/331 Biography of Ela Bhatt on the official site of the Magsaysay award]
* [http://www.theelders.org/elders/ela-bhatt Ela Bhatt's biography on The Elders' website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310203423/http://www.theelders.org/elders/ela-bhatt |date=10 March 2010 }}
* [http://www.theelders.org/elders/ela-bhatt Ela Bhatt's biography on The Elders' website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310203423/http://www.theelders.org/elders/ela-bhatt |date=10 March 2010 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Ela R.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Ela R.}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:1933 births]]
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[[Category:Scholars from Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work]]
[[Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur]]
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[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
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[[Category:Indian microfinance people]]
[[Category:Indian microfinance people]]
[[Category:Gujarat University alumni]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
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[[Category:Businesspeople from Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Ahmedabad]]
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[[Category:20th-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Four Freedoms Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women educational theorists]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Women members of the Rajya Sabha]]
[[Category:Women members of the Rajya Sabha]]

Latest revision as of 23:38, 6 November 2024

Ela Bhatt
Bhatt in 2013
Born(1933-09-07)7 September 1933
Ahmedabad, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died2 November 2022(2022-11-02) (aged 89)
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
NationalityIndian
EducationB.A., LL.B.; Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives;
Alma materSarvajanik Girls High School, Surat; M.T.B. College, Surat; Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives, Tel Aviv
Occupation(s)Lawyer, philanthropist
Organization(s)SEWA, The Elders
Known forFounded SEWA
SpouseRamesh Bhatt
AwardsPadma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Ramon Magsaysay Award, Right Livelihood Award, Niwano Peace Prize, Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
12 May 1986 – 26 September 1988
ConstituencyNominated
Websitesewa.org

Ela Ramesh Bhatt (7 September 1933 – 2 November 2022) was an Indian cooperative organiser, activist and Gandhian,[1] who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972, and served as its general secretary from 1972 to 1996. She was the chancellor of the Gujarat Vidyapith from 7 March 2015 to 19 October 2022.[2] A lawyer by training, Bhatt was a part of the international labour, cooperative, women, and micro-finance movements and won several national and international awards, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1977), Right Livelihood Award (1984) for "helping home-based producers to organise for their welfare and self-respect" and the Padma Bhushan (1986).[3]

Early life and background

[edit]

Bhatt was born at Ahmedabad in India. Her father, Sumantrai Bhatt, was a successful lawyer, while her mother, Vanalila Vyas, was active in the women's movement and also remained secretary of All India Women's Conference, which in turn was founded by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay.[citation needed]

The middle child of three sisters, her childhood was spent in Surat, where she attended the Sarvajanik Girls High School from 1940 to 1948. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the M.T.B. College (South Gujarat University) in Surat in 1952. Following graduation, she entered L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad. In 1954, she received her degree in law and a gold medal for her work on Hindu law.[4]

Career

[edit]

Bhatt started her career teaching English for a short time at SNDT Women's University, better known as SNDT, in Mumbai. In 1955 she joined the legal department of the Textile Labour Association (TLA), India's oldest unions for textile workers, in Ahmedabad.[5]

TLA and SEWA

[edit]

In 1956, Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt (now deceased). After working for sometime with the Gujarat government, Ela was asked by the TLA to head its women's wing in 1968. She went to Israel where she studied at the Afro-Asian Institute of Labour and Cooperatives in Tel Aviv for three months, receiving the International Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives in 1971. She was very much aware that thousands of female textile workers worked elsewhere to supplement the family income, but state laws protected only industrial workers and not these self-employed women.

With the co-operation of Arvind Buch, then-president of the TLA, she undertook to organise these self-employed women into a union under the auspices of the Women's Wing of the TLA. Then in 1972 the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was established with Buch as president and she served as its general-secretary from 1972 to 1996.[6]

The Elders: 2007–2022

[edit]

On 18 July 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, and Desmond Tutu convened a group of world leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. Mandela announced the formation of this new group, The Elders, in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.[citation needed]

Kofi Annan served as Chair of The Elders and Gro Harlem Brundtland as deputy chair. The Elders work globally, on thematic as well as geographically specific subjects. The Elders' priority issue areas include the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Korean Peninsula, Sudan and South Sudan, sustainable development, and equality for girls and women.[7]

Bhatt was particularly involved in The Elders' initiative on equality for women and girls, including on the issue of child marriage. In February 2012, Bhatt travelled to Bihar, India with fellow Elders Desmond Tutu, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson. Together, the Elders visited Jagriti, a youth-led project aimed at preventing child marriage, and encouraged the state government's efforts to tackle the issue.[8][9]

A Gandhian practitioner of non-violence, Bhatt also travelled to the Middle East with Elders delegations in August 2009[10] and October 2010.[11][12]

In a blog post written for The Elders' website following the group's visit to Gaza in October 2010, Bhatt stated that non-violent struggle against injustice requires "more hard work than fighting" and that "it is the coward who uses weapons."[13]

The Elders are independently funded by such donors as Sir Richard Branson and Jean Oelwang (Virgin Unite), Peter Gabriel (The Peter Gabriel Foundation), Kathy Bushkin Calvin (United Nations Foundation), Jeremy Coller and Lulit Solomon (J. Coller Foundation), Niclas Kjellström-Matseke (Swedish Postcode Lottery), Jeff Skoll and Sally Osberg (Skoll Foundation), and Marieke van Schaik (Dutch Postcode Lottery), among others. Mabel van Oranje, former CEO of The Elders, sits on the Advisory Council in her capacity as Advisory Committee Chair of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage.[14]

Personal life

[edit]

Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt in 1956, with whom she had two children, Amimayi (b. 1958) and Mihir (b. 1959).[4] She lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with her family. She died on 2 November 2022, at the age of 89.[15]

Awards and recognition

[edit]

Bhatt was one of the founders of Women's World Banking in 1979 with Esther Ocloo and Michaela Walsh, and served as its chair from 1980 to 1998. She has served as Chair of the SEWA Cooperative Bank, of HomeNet, of the International Alliance of Street Vendors,[16] and was formerly on the board of directors of WIEGO.[6] She was also a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation.[citation needed]

Bhatt was granted an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters by Harvard University in June 2001. In 2012, she received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa from Georgetown University and an honorary doctorate from Université libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium.[17] She also held honorary doctorates from Yale and the University of Natal.[citation needed]

Ela Bhatt was also awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1985, and the Padma Bhushan in 1986. She was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1977 and the Right Livelihood Award in 1984.[citation needed]

Bhatt was chosen for the Niwano Peace Prize in 2010 for her work empowering poor women in India.[citation needed]

In November 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honoured Bhatt with the Global Fairness Initiative Award for helping move more than a million poor women in India to a position of dignity and independence.[citation needed]

Ela Bhatt was honoured with the prestigious Radcliffe Medal on 27 May 2011 on Radcliffe Day for her efforts in helping uplift women, which has had a significant impact on society.[18]

In November 2011, Ela Bhatt was selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2011 for her lifetime achievements in empowering women through grassroots entrepreneurship.[19]

In June 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton identified Ela Bhatt as one of her 'heroines'. She said, "I have a lot of heroes and heroines around the world and one of them is Ela Bhatt, who started an organisation called the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in India many years ago".[20]

Writings

[edit]

Bhatt's book has been translated into Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and is currently being translated into French and Tamil.[citation needed]

  • Bhatt, E. R. (2006). We are poor but so many: the story of self-employed women in India. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516984-0
  • Bhatt, E.R. (2015). Anubandh : Building Hundred Mile Communities. Ahmedabad, Navjeevan Publishing House. ISBN 9788172296759[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Duncan, Natricia (27 June 2014). "Empowering Indian women through employment". The Guardian.
  2. ^ "Chancellors of Gujarat Vidyapith". Gujarat Vidyapith. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Awardees Biography". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Ela Bhatt | Biography & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b "WIEGO Board of Directors Bios". WIEGO. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  7. ^ "The Elders: Our Work". TheElders.org. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  8. ^ "The Elders: Momentum is building to tackle child marriage in India". TheElders.org. 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  9. ^ Ela Bhatt (6 February 2012). "Welcoming my fellow Elders to India". TheElders.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  10. ^ Ethan Bronner (28 August 2009). "In Village, Palestinians See Model for Their Cause". New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  11. ^ "East Jerusalem residents, 'Elders' meet". CNN.com. 21 October 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  12. ^ "'The Elders' call to lift Gaza blockade". Jerusalem Post. 17 October 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  13. ^ Ela Bhatt (19 October 2010). "What would Gandhi say?". TheElders.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Donors". TheElders.org. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  15. ^ "SEWA founder Elaben Bhatt passes away". Desh Gujarat. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  16. ^ "International Alliance of Street Vendors". Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Three cheers for Gujarat's big ben," Times of India, Ahmedabad, 12 May 2012. Available at
  18. ^ "Ela R. Bhatt to Receive Radcliffe Medal". Harvard Magazine. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  19. ^ Ela Bhatt selected for Indira Gandhi Prize Times of India. 20 November 2011.
  20. ^ Ela Bhatt is Hillary Clinton's 'heroine' Times of India. 22 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Ela Ben's '100-mile communities'..." tribuneindia.com. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Ela Bhatt.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ela Bhatt.
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