“You have to keep keeping on. Life is full of successes and failures and mistakes, and you get up and dust yourself and keep moving. It is like life itself. Twists and turns, ups and downs, and what is success? I don’t know.” In this episode, Ashutosh Garg engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Mirai Chatterjee, Chairperson of Gujarat Women’s SEWA Co-operative Federation, about the lives of the poor informal women workers in India and around the globe. Mirai is an alumnus of Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. Mirai, a senior individual from the social sector, talks about the three key milestones in her life. The Chairperson of SEWA (Self Empowered Women’s Association) explains how the organization works tirelessly to actualize the goal of full employment and self-reliance of the underprivileged women working in the informal sector. Mirai opines about the harsh reality of women being forced to bid adieu to their professional life after marriage. She draws a comparison between the way of life of women in rural India versus other parts of the world. In the section that follows, Mirai talks about her responsibilities as the Chairperson of ‘Women in Informal Employment Organizing and Globalizing,’ a network of policy makers, researchers, and practitioners. Before concluding, she defines success in her terms and shared with us the biggest learnings from her biggest mistakes.
Mirai Chatterjee, Chairperson, Gujarat Womens’ SEWA Cooperative Federation
Profile
Work Experience:
| 2015–present | Chairperson, Gujarat Womens’ SEWA Cooperative Federation |
| 2009 – 2019 | Chairperson, National Insurance VimoSEWA Cooperative Ltd, with 100,000 insured women and their family members in five states of India. |
| 1999 – present | Director, SEWA Social Security Team, involved in organizing and managing health care, child care and insurance services for women of the informal economy, all members of the Self Employed Women’s Association, SEWA. |
| 1999 – present | Board Member, Lok Swasthya Sewa Health Worker’s Cooperative |
| 1999 – 2010 | Chairperson, Lok Swasthya Health Workers’ cooperative, promoted by SEWA. The cooperative is a state-wide organization of grassroot-level health workers. |
| 1996 – 1999 | General Secretary, Self Employed Women’s Association, SEWA, Responsible for managing India’s largest union of women workers of the informal economy. |
| 1984 – 1996 | Coordinator, Sewa Health Team, involved in organizing health services for and with informal women workers. |
Other Experience:
| 2020—present | Chairperson, Women in Informal Employment Globalising and Organising (WIEGO), a global network of grassroot practitioners, policy-makers and researchers |
| 2020—present | Board Member, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship |
| 2014 – present | Vice-Chairperson, PRADAN, an NGO working on rural livelihoods |
| 2013 – present | Board Member, Save the Children (India) |
| 2010 – 2014 | Member, National Advisory Council (NAC), appointed by the Prime Minister of India |
| 2010—2011 | Member, High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage, Planning Commission of India |
| 2009 – present | Board Member, Indian Institute of Public Health (Gujarat) |
| 2006 – present | Trustee, National Academy of Self-Employed Women |
| 2006 – present | Trustee, Strishakti Trust, SEWA Bank |
| 2006 – present | Board Member, Video SEWA Communication Cooperative |
| 2005 – present | Board Member, Public Health Foundation of India |
| 2005—2008 | Commissioner, WHO’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health |
| 1999 – 2014 | Board Member, Friends of Women’s World Banking FWWB, Ahmedabad; an organisation committed to providing microfinance to grass root women’s organisations. Chairperson (2013 – 2014) |
| 1998 – present | Trustee, Mahila Sewa Trust, an organisation committed to the welfare of women workers and a part of the SEWA movement. |
| 2005 – 2008 | Board Member, Public Affairs Centre |
| 1997 – 2000 | Trustee, National Foundation for India, an organisation committed to strengthening voluntary action for development. |
| 1988 – 1990 | Board Member, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) a national coalition of community health organizations. |
| 1988 – 1989 | President, Gujarat Voluntary Health Association (GVHA), regional coalition of health groups working involved in primary health care. |
Academic Honours:
| 1983 – 1985 | Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship for 1983 – 85 for graduate degree in public health, Johns Hopkins University, USA. |
| 1978 – 1982 | Harvard University Scholarship |
| 1976 – 1978 | Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Scholarship to attend the United World College of the Atlantic, Wales |
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