Participants

This exposure and dialogue programme is an offer to decision-makers and responsible persons in insurance companies, politics and public and private development cooperation. Representatives from other sectors such as state, media, church and civil society are also welcome. Insurance experts from Southern countries will also take part in the programme.

Partner in India

This exposure and dialogue programme is carried out in cooperation with SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association). SEWA is an organization founded in 1971 in Gujarat and is recognised as a trade union for poor, self-employed women workers and rural women workers in India. Today, SEWA has about 1,2 million members throughout the whole of India. SEWA’s goal is the holistic development of women, in particular enhancing their economic and social position, in other words employment and economic independence for women. The SEWA concept is rooted in the philosophy of Ghandi, which puts an emphasis on self-respect and dignity. SEWA’s main activities consist of legal advice and support for legal action, financial services, training, health, housing, rural development and social security systems.

The organizational structure of SEWA comprises a network of trade unions according to the trade membership (e.g. homeworker, small-scale business or service provider), associations, 71 cooperatives and production groups. Further SEWA Bank - in 1974 registered as bank - offers saving- and credit services to its members. SEWA Academy is the education and capacity-building centre of SEWA. In addition SEWA Academy carries out exposure and dialogue programmes for internal further education and for external institutions. VimoSEWA offers insurance services according to the needs of their members. In November 2009 National Insurance VimoSEWA Cooperative Ltd. was founded to improve support service to customers in the increasing insurance market of all India. Currently VimoSEWA Cooperative Ltd. is active in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar.

VimoSEWA offers its members not just classic insurance services but also technical assistance and support on-site with doctors or in the hospital. In cooperation with SEWA Health Co-operative VimoSEWA organizes courses in health care and health education and supports its members in basic sanitation.
More information about VimoSEWA you find here and on www.sewainsurance.org.