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

By Martha Alter Chen on August 26, 2022

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.

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