Ela Bhatt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ela Bhatt
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Bhatt in 2013
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| Born | 7 September 1933 |
| Died | 2 November 2022 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | B.A., LL.B.; Diploma of Labor and Cooperatives; |
| Alma mater | Sarvajanik Girls High School, Surat; M.T.B. College, Surat; Afro-Asian Institute of Labor and Cooperatives, Tel Aviv |
| Occupation | Lawyer, philanthropist |
| Organization | SEWA, The Elders |
| Known for | Founded SEWA |
| Spouse(s) | Ramesh Bhatt |
| Awards | Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Ramon Magsaysay Award, Right Livelihood Award, Niwano Peace Prize, Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development |
Ela Ramesh Bhatt (born September 7, 1933 – died November 2, 2022) was an amazing Indian leader. She was an activist and followed the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. She is best known for starting the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972. She led SEWA as its general secretary for many years, from 1972 to 1996.
Ela Bhatt was a trained lawyer. She worked hard for workers' rights, especially for women, and helped create ways for people to borrow small amounts of money (called micro-finance). She won many important awards for her work. These include the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1977 and the Padma Bhushan in 1986.
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Early Life and Education
Ela Bhatt was born in Ahmedabad, India. Her father, Sumantrai Bhatt, was a successful lawyer. Her mother, Vanalila Vyas, was also active in women's rights. She was a secretary for the All India Women's Conference.
Ela was the middle of three sisters. She grew up in Surat, where she went to Sarvajanik Girls High School. In 1952, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. After that, she studied law in Ahmedabad. In 1954, she received her law degree. She even won a Gold Medal for her excellent work on Hindu law.
Working for Change
Ela Bhatt first taught English for a short time in Mumbai. In 1955, she joined the legal team of the Textile Labour Association (TLA) in Ahmedabad. The TLA was one of India's oldest unions for textile workers.
Starting SEWA
In 1956, Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt. After working for the government for a while, the TLA asked her to lead their women's section in 1968. She realized that many women textile workers also did other jobs to earn money. But the laws only protected factory workers, not these self-employed women.
Ela Bhatt decided to help these women. With the support of Arvind Buch, who was the TLA president, she began to organize them. In 1972, the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) was officially started. She became its general-secretary and worked tirelessly for SEWA until 1996.
Joining The Elders
In 2007, Ela Bhatt joined a special group called The Elders. This group was started by Nelson Mandela, a famous leader from South Africa. The Elders are a group of respected world leaders. They use their experience to help solve difficult global problems.
The Elders work on many issues around the world. These include conflicts, sustainable development, and especially equality for girls and women. Ela Bhatt was very involved in helping women and girls. She focused on stopping child marriage.
In 2012, she visited Bihar, India, with other Elders. They saw projects that were working to prevent child marriage. They also encouraged the local government to help with this issue.
Ela Bhatt believed strongly in non-violence, like Mahatma Gandhi. She said that fighting injustice without violence takes more hard work than using weapons. She believed that using weapons was a sign of weakness.
Personal Life
Ela Bhatt married Ramesh Bhatt in 1956. They had two children, a daughter named Amimayi and a son named Mihir. She lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with her family. She passed away on November 2, 2022, at the age of 89.
Awards and Honors
Ela Bhatt received many awards and honors for her important work.
She helped start Women's World Banking in 1979. This organization helps women around the world get loans and financial support. She was its chair from 1980 to 1998. She also led other groups like the SEWA Cooperative Bank.
Many universities gave her honorary degrees. These include Harvard University in 2001, Georgetown University in 2012, and others like Yale.
The Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 1985 and the Padma Bhushan in 1986. These are very high civilian awards in India.
She also won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1977 and the Right Livelihood Award in 1984. In 2010, she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her work in helping poor women in India.
In November 2010, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, gave her the Global Fairness Initiative Award. This was for helping over a million poor women in India gain respect and independence.
In 2011, she received the prestigious Radcliffe Medal. This was for her efforts to uplift women and make a big difference in society. Later that year, she was chosen for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. This was for her lifelong work in empowering women through small businesses.
In 2012, Hillary Clinton called Ela Bhatt one of her "heroines." She praised Ela Bhatt for starting SEWA and helping so many women.
