Namrata Bali

As the Strategy Advisor for HomeNet South Asia, Ms. Bali provides overall guidance on the functioning of the organisation and advises its Trustees and senior leadership on a range of initiatives and issues.

For the past 31 years, Ms. Bali has been involved in organising urban rural women workers into handicraft cooperatives at Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) – the world’s largest trade union for women, informal workers. At SEWA, Ms. Bali also serves as its Director and Treasurer. Previously, she has also served as the trade union’s General Secretary (2005 -2003) and as its Secretary (2001 – 2003).

At SEWA, Ms. Bali continues to serve in various capacities. She is a member of SEWA’s Core Committee, Chair and Editor of SEWA’s fortnightly magazine – Anasoya, Editor of Aakashganga (the magazine for young girls), the Chair of the SEWA Video Cooperative, Director of SEWA Radio, and Trustee at SEWA’s Lok Swasthya Health Trust.

For the past 31 years, Ms. Bali has also served as the Director of SEWA Academy – the trade union’s main research, training and communications centre. And is now also a Managing Trustee and Director at the Academy. Here, she continues to impart trainings on production of documentaries and the use of other information and communication technology while raising the issues of women informal workers.

Ms. Bali is a Board Member with International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA). And is a member of the Evaluation Committee at Gujarat Vidyapith, under the International Peace Education Programme on Gandhian studies. Ms. Bali specializes in textile design linked with worker cooperatives and has presented papers nationally and internationally on several issues involving women in the informal economy.