From working odd jobs to becoming an advocate of gender equality : Payalben Hiteshbhai Ranat

Payalben Hiteshbhai Ranat, a home-based worker from Isanpur, Ahmedabad, truly embodies the phrase, "Be the change you wish to see." 

Coming from a low-income family, Payalben’s professional fate seemed to be sealed when she was forced to leave school after the 10th grade. She took on various odd jobs to support her family financially, like saree packing and working as a peon. While these helped her make ends meet, they never got her out of financial straits. 

Payalben got married at 21 – adding household responsibilities, childcare, and the financial burden of supporting her in-laws to her already demanding life. It was during this challenging time that she was introduced to dandiya decoration as a home-based profession. 

Until this time, Payalben’s focus had been to help provide for her own family. But her involvement with the IASEW (especially through the Power Up project facilitated by HNSA and WIEGO and supported by Comic Relief) would change all that – and shuttle her to the role of a community leader.

 The training programs by IASEW empowered her with organising and leadership skills. This had a direct impact on her work – she was able to negotiate better working conditions for herself. Not satisfied with just her own progress, Payalben started organising other home-based workers too. Those within the shirt packing industry are particularly grateful to her – thanks to Payalben’s guidance, they were able to secure timely payments from traders.

She also played a pivotal role in transitioning many of these workers into dandiya production – where work was more stable and payments more reliable.

The gender-based violence awareness training was another crucial turning point for Payalben. The knowledge she received equipped her to address domestic violence within her community. She successfully intervened in a domestic violence case in her neighbourhood, helping a woman stand up for herself. Her positive influence in this and similar cases has earned her the respect and trust of her community, elevating her to a leadership role.

Now, at age 38, Payalben continues to work tirelessly to improve the lives of women in her community – be it by assisting them in opening SEWA Bank accounts or encouraging participation in training programs like the ones that transformed her life.

And her impact goes beyond just these practical matters! She is helping her community break out of age-old mindsets too. It’s thanks to her interventions that the women in her locality are going beyond the traditional clothes and embracing modern attire – and that young boys are taking a greater part in household chores. With her dedication, Payalben is creating a brighter future for herself and those around her.