Knowing her rights and the value of her work

Climate Action

Oct 12

In Street Number 2 in Shantinagar, 60-year-old Hansaben works from home, breaking and separating anchor ropes before returning the materials to a plastic yarn factory. Like many women working in downstream ship recycling, she is paid according to how much material she processes.

For Hansaben, one of the most important changes came through SEWA’s Workers’ Education Classes. The sessions introduced workers to their rights and entitlements, including insurance coverage, bonuses and fair wages. They also created a space where women doing similar work could meet, share information and discuss the challenges they faced.

It was through these conversations that Hansaben learned something with an immediate impact on her livelihood: the rate for washing and separating ropes had increased from ₹2.5 to ₹3 per kilogram. Until then, she had continued working at the old rate.

Knowing that the rate had changed was one thing. Asking for it required confidence. With continued information and follow-up visits from a local grassroots leader, Hansaben approached her contractor and asked to be paid the revised rate. She succeeded and now receives ₹3 per kilogram for her work.

Hansaben says that without the Workers’ Education Classes and the follow-up support, she might never have known about the increase and would have continued accepting lower wages.

Her experience shows how access to information can translate into something very tangible: a fairer income. But it also represents a broader change. By understanding their work, rights and entitlements, women like Hansaben are becoming better equipped to raise concerns, negotiate with contractors and speak up for fairer wages and working conditions.