Poor women workers in informal sector contribute significantly to nation’s economy: Nandini Azad

More than 90 per cent of poor women workers are deployed in the informal sector and make critical contributions to the country’s economy, Nandini Azad, President, Working Women’s Forum (India) (WWF) and Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) said.

While speaking recently at the launch of ‘ArTribute 2026’ theme ‘Shades of Her – Tribute to Women’ held at the IIT-Madras, she said, these women are powerless, invisible, low paid, unregulated and lack bargaining power. They have less to no investment capacities, and no trade unions to support them.

“These women survive amidst starvation, social oppression, and the three-fold inequalities of caste, class, and gender. Yet they demonstrate extraordinary socialised resilience, operating through indigenous methods and ingenious mechanisms despite severe drudgery and discriminatory conditions,” she said.

WWF and ICNW started working with poor women in the informal sector more than four decades ago, according to a press release. Through the ‘gender and equity’ model, Ms. Azad said, they have disbursed nearly ₹500 crore as small loans, with a high repayment rate.

“Our members are not just surviving, but thriving, and are leading the charge for gender equity and social justice. The Gender and Equity model of the WWF-ICNW cooperative helps women in the informal sector access finance, capacity building, and institutional support to transform their lives as leaders,” she said.

Through the gender awareness and leadership training provided on social, economic and legal rights, ICNW has empowered women to turn into local community leaders, she added.