Ms. Reema Nanavaty
Secretary-General
Self-Employed Womens' Association, (SEWA) India
SEWA Reception Centre,
Opp. Lok Manya Tilak Baug, Bhadra
Ahmedabad, 380 001
INDIA

Having succeeded in joining the coveted Indian Administrative Services, Reema stepped out for a year to come and directly work with the poor women members of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA). As a manager, she developed the regional rural water supply scheme of Government of Gujarat and SEWA into an integrated water project, and made women central to water decisions. She stayed on with SEWA and expanded the project into an ongoing Women, Water and Work campaign of 40000 women.

Since being elected by 2,84,000 members of SEWA as their General Secretary in the year 1999, Reema has expanded SEWA membership to new heights of 5,30,000 making SEWA the single largest union of informal sector workers in India. She currently manages US$ 6 million strong economic activities of SEWA through a federation of 70 cooperatives, seven district associations of artisans, saltfarmers, and forestry workers, and a direct outlet of 12000 artisans. She initiated and negotiated the first ever NGO-Government of India-IFAD loan to rebuild lives of 60000 earthquake affected women member of SEWA and is currently designing post conflict reconstruction package for 40000 SEWA members affected by recent riots. She sits on various government and multilateral agency committees.

Currently Reema is busy expanding the activities of SEWA's Trade Facilitation Centre—a SEWA-IFC partnership—into Global Grassroots Entrepreneurs Trading Network, a global network of initiatives and individuals aiming at making women's voice and contribution central to world trade decisions.