The Struggle for the Soul of Bhadra Chowk – A Heritage Plaza or Heritage Market? A Case Study from Ahmedabad, India

This case study documents the history of the struggle by street vendors, with the support of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), to retain their right to vend – and their natural market – in Bhadra Chowk, Ahmedabad, India. It brings to light SEWA’s multipronged strategy, which includes: 

• Organizing on the basis of solidarity, women’s leadership and ownership.
• Building the capacity of women informal workers, members and leaders.
• Raising awareness among the general public and policy makers in support of informal workers.
• Creating an enabling policy and legal environment through advocacy.
• Engaging in negotiations on an ongoing basis with local government, policy makers and other key stakeholders. 
• Building alliances of support for knowledge generation, technical assistance and advocacy.
• Taking legal action, when needed, through public interest litigation and other legal cases.