Ela Bhatt

Ela Ramesh Bhatt
Ela Ramesh Bhatt
Born	7 September 1933 (age 93); Ahmedabad, India
Died	2 November 2022 (aged 89)
Occupation(s)	Cooperative leader, activist, lawyer
Years active	1955–2022
Known for	Founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Ela Bhatt, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Ela Ramesh Bhatt (7 September 1933 – 2 November 2022) was a prominent Indian cooperative leader, activist, and follower of Gandhian principles who established the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972. She held the position of general secretary there until 1996. Trained as a lawyer, Bhatt was instrumental in advancing international movements related to labour rights, cooperatives, women's empowerment, and micro-finance. Additionally, she served as the chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith from March 2015 until October 2022.

Her contributions earned her several prestigious awards both nationally and globally, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1977, the Right Livelihood Award in 1984 for her work empowering home-based producers, and the Padma Bhushan in 1986.

Early life and background

Born in Ahmedabad, India, Bhatt was the daughter of Sumantrai Bhatt, a distinguished lawyer, and Vanalila Vyas, an active participant in the women's movement who served as secretary of the All India Women's Conference, an organisation initiated by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay.

As the second of three sisters, she spent her childhood in Surat and attended Sarvajanik Girls High School from 1940 to 1948. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at M.T.B. College (South Gujarat University) in 1952. Following this, she pursued legal studies at L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad, graduating with a law degree and receiving a gold medal for her research on Hindu law in 1954.

Career

Bhatt briefly worked as an English instructor at SNDT Women's University in Mumbai. In 1955, she joined the legal division of the Textile Labour Association (TLA), India's oldest union representing textile workers, based in Ahmedabad.

TLA and SEWA

After marrying Ramesh Bhatt in 1956 and a period working with the Gujarat government, she was appointed leader of TLA's women's wing in 1968. She expanded her expertise by studying labour relations and cooperatives at the Afro-Asian Institute in Tel Aviv, earning an International Diploma in 1971. Observing that numerous female textile workers were self-employed and lacked legal protections, she partnered with TLA president Arvind Buch to organise these women into a formal union.

This collaboration led to the establishment of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in 1972, with Buch as president and Bhatt serving as general secretary until 1996.

The Elders: 2007–2022

On 18 July 2007, global figures Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, and Desmond Tutu founded The Elders, a collective of international leaders addressing critical global issues. Under the chairmanship of Kofi Annan and deputy Gro Harlem Brundtland, The Elders focus on challenges such as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, tensions on the Korean Peninsula, conflicts in Sudan, sustainable development goals, and advancing women's rights.

Bhatt played a vital role within The Elders by championing gender equality and combating child marriage. In February 2012, she joined fellow members during a visit to Bihar, India, supporting youth-led campaigns against child marriage while urging governmental intervention.

A committed advocate of Gandhian non-violence, Bhatt participated in delegations to the Middle East in 2009 and 2010. Following her visit to Gaza in 2010, she highlighted that non-violent resistance demands greater commitment than armed struggle.

Funding for The Elders comes from independent donors including Sir Richard Branson, Peter Gabriel, Kathy Bushkin Calvin (United Nations Foundation), Jeremy Coller, Niclas Kjellström-Matseke (Swedish Postcode Lottery), Jeff Skoll (Skoll Foundation), among others. Former CEO Mabel van Oranje serves on its Advisory Council as Chair of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage.

Personal life

Ela Bhatt wed Ramesh Bhatt in 1956, and the couple had two children: Amimayi, born in 1958, and Mihir, born in 1959. She resided in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, until her passing on 2 November 2022 at the age of 89.

Awards and recognition

In 1979, Bhatt co-established Women's World Banking alongside Esther Ocloo and Michaela Walsh, holding the position of chairperson from 1980 until 1998. She led the SEWA Cooperative Bank, HomeNet, and the International Alliance of Street Vendors, while also serving on the board of WIEGO. Additionally, she was a trustee for the Rockefeller Foundation.

Her academic honors include honorary doctorates awarded by Harvard University (2001), Georgetown University (2012), Université libre de Bruxelles, Yale University, and the University of Natal.

The Government of India recognized her contributions with the Padma Shri in 1985 and the Padma Bhushan in 1986. Among her other distinguished accolades are the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1977), the Right Livelihood Award (1984), and the Niwano Peace Prize (2010).

In 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honored her with the Global Fairness Initiative Award for empowering over one million impoverished women across India. The Radcliffe Medal was bestowed upon her in 2011 for her significant influence on women’s empowerment. That same year, she received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in recognition of her lifelong dedication to grassroots entrepreneurship.

Hillary Clinton also acknowledged Ela Bhatt as one of her international 'heroines' in June 2012, highlighting Bhatt’s role in founding the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in India.

Writings

Bhatt’s publications have been translated into multiple languages including Gujarati, Urdu, and Hindi, with translations underway in French and Tamil.

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

External links