Elaben Bhatt, a noted Gandhian, leading women’s empowerment activist, and renowned founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) passed away at the age of 89.
Elaben was the Chairperson of Sabarmati Ashram and recently resigned as the Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi-founded Gujarat Vidhyapith
In 2007, she became the part of a group of world leaders called the Elders, founded by Nelson Mandela to promote human rights and peace across the world.
The recipient of national and international awards, including the Padma Bhushan, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize and many other accolades
Elaben Bhatt: Life and career
Elaben Bhatt was a Member of the Rajya Sabha and of the Planning Commission of India in the 1980s.
Elaben Bhatt: Life and career
Founded by her in 1972, SEWA is one of the largest cooperatives working for women, with a base of over two million members from around 18 States in the country and in neighbouring nations
In 2012, she was praised by then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I have a lot of heroes and heroines around the world and one of them is Ela Bhatt, who started an organisation called the SEWA in India many years ago,”.