Women’s rights activist Renana Jhabvala discusses the status of women in the informal sector and more, in conversation with Suparna-Saraswati Puri.

 
There has been a sea change in the outlook of women in India in recent years, and women are finally beginning to follow their dreams. While that’s reason enough to celebrate, this evolving mindset is yet to take root in the informal sector, says Renana Jhabvala, 63, who has spent four decades campaigning for women’s rights and dignity in the unorganised sector in India.

As much as she is allergic to descriptors, there is no escaping the fact that Jhabvala has been a game-changer, who believes “equality for women is the responsibility of both men and women”. Most recognised for her work with SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association), Jhabvala began her journey with the Ahmedabad-based women’s organisation and went on to become a role model for social workers across India.

The daughter of Booker-prize winning novelist and Oscar-winning screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and architect Cyrus Jhabvala, she inherited her calling in life from her grandfather, Shavaksha Hormasji Jhabvala, one of the founders of the Indian Trade Union movement, and her grandmother, Mehraben Jhabvala, an advocate for women. Interestingly, the decision to work for women in the unorganised sector was an unplanned one, taken by a youthful 25 year-old PhD student from the US, on holiday in India in 1977. Oblivious to the life-changing experience that awaited her, it was Jhabvala’s inherent sensibilities of wanting “to do some good in the world” that made her spontaneously respond to India’s “inequalities”. She chose not to return to the US and, instead, joined SEWA that year.

“One of my first actions at SEWA was to form a cooperative of women stitchers. This brought them directly into the market and raised their income, freeing them from the exploitation of middlemen,” recalls Jhabvala, who had graduated in mathematics from Hindu College in 1972 before she pursued an additional degree in mathematics at Harvard University and enrolled for postgraduate studies in economics at Yale University. Over the years, her role at SEWA elevated the lives of countless beedi workers, agricultural workers, garment workers, street vendors, domestic workers as well as casual labourers as she grew and promoted the organisation across India. “When I joined [SEWA], it was still part of a large trade union—the Textile Labour Association—and we undertook many trade union actions on behalf of our members.”

Jhabvala was one of the key drivers of SEWA Bharat, a national federation of SEWAs across nine states in India. She became the organisation’s national coordinator and opened the national office in Delhi. Among her other path-breaking initiatives were founding the Mahila Housing SEWA Trust and pushing for microfinance for poor women through SEWA Bank. In 2007, working with women home-based workers, Jhabvala was instrumental in forming HomeNet South Asia, bringing together organisations in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan and is its incumbent chairperson. She is also one of the founders and incumbent chairperson of WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising).

The depth and breadth of Jhabvala’s experience has seen her on many government committees and task forces that have formulated policies for unorganised workers. And apart from being published in journals and newspapers, she has co-authored seven books, the latest being Basic Income: A Transformative Policy for India (2014). In recognition of her pioneering ideas and commitment to women’s empowerment, Jhabvala has been honoured with several awards, including the Padma Shri in 1990. In her signature style, she remarks, “It is helpful because it makes people pay more attention to what one says.” Acknowledging her contribution to a better understanding of women in the informal sector among policy makers, the unassuming and distinguished Jhabvala—on a recent visit to Chandigarh for a literary meet—talks about all that matters to her.

Career in social work: “I am not sure that social work should be a professional qualification. I wanted to do something for justice and felt that I should use my education for something useful. I felt very strongly that women were treated as possessions and as sexual victims. I wanted to fight for equal rights for women.”

Journey with SEWA: “Titles and designations do not mean much, so please do not go by a title. The question is, ‘What have you contributed?’ I have contributed to building many of the organisations of poor women from SEWA, as a trade union with 2 million members, to SEWA Microfinance, to SEWA all over India. I have also contributed to getting better statistics on poor women, hence making them visible in India and worldwide. At present, a new big idea for women’s welfare is that of basic income, which means unconditional regular cash transfers. I am keen to experiment and take this forward and have already done a book on it. Another new venture I have just started is the SEWA housing finance company called Grih Rin, which aims to provide loans for houses for poor women that will help create assets in their [women’s] names.”

Women in India: “There has been a lot of change in the position of women in India. However, we still lag behind many countries in Europe, the US, Latin America and East Asia. In India, women are still not seen as equals. For women, the main thing is not to be fearful. Women are made fearful all their lives. They have to get past their fear and lack of confidence in themselves. Women are often made to feel ashamed of their bodies. They must get past the shame and realise that those who make them feel so are the ones who are at fault. I believe that although there is a gradual acceptance of the fact that men can also take care of housework and women’s education is taken for granted (with women in the informal sector also gaining education), sadly, it is women’s careers that are needed for personal development. This continues to be overshadowed by societal influences and compulsions. Things may be changing for most middle-class Indian women but in the segment with which I engage, the idea for self-development [usually enhanced and necessitated through a profession or career choice] is still a dream.”

Changing times: “When I was a college student, for most of us, marriage was the next step after primary education. But in recent years, one has seen a generational change, pushing girls to follow their own aspirations. This has also happened because today’s young women have a better understanding of their parents’ choices vis-à-vis pursuing a career. Hence, they feel the need to choose a vocation rather than simply getting married after completing their education. However, this generational change has yet to take root with women in the informal sector. Coming together physically or on social media gives women strength. Portrayals of strong, independent women in the media are important too.”

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: “Our mother taught us to love books and read a lot. She was also disciplined in her work and a loving parent.”

Ageing: “Yes, of course, energy levels decrease. However, one’s familial responsibilities become much less considering that one’s children have grown, ageing parents have passed on and so, I am able to devote much more time and energy to my work.”

Relaxation: “I meditate every day and I like walking but it is reading that truly relaxes me. I read a lot and am a fast reader. While unwell recently, I finished three books in three days. I enjoy crime fiction but it is not the literary aspect of a book that engages me; it should be readable. Of late, I read Robert Galbraith aka J K Rowling’s crime series, Nandan Nilekani’s Rebooting India: Realising a Billion Aspirations and Eric Hobsbawm’s Uncommon People.”

Family: “My husband, Harish Khare, is a journalist and, at present, editor-in-chief of The Tribune. Our son, Uday Jhabvala Khare, a lawyer, was working with the International Finance Corporation and is now with a law firm. I have two sisters, Ava Wood, an architect in the UK, and Firoza Jhabvala, a teacher in the US.

Disappointments: “I did not complete my PhD but it is not the designation of being addressed as ‘Dr’ that matters; it is the rigour of learning that I regret having missed had I pursued the degree. But then, again, had I not visited India in 1977 and stepped into SEWA, I wonder which one would have been a bigger regret!”

Photo: Suparna-Saraswati Puri
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
March 2016