Women’s cooperatives engage with markets in different ways, selling produce, supplying goods, providing services, or managing retail spaces. These interactions depend on pricing, consistency, quality, and the ability to respond to demand.
SEWA Cooperative Federation works alongside cooperatives as they navigate these decisions. This includes strengthening aggregation, how pricing is determined, or how relationships with buyers are managed. In some cases, it includes building new channels that allow cooperatives to reach markets more directly.
In agriculture, this has taken the form of Krishi Suvidha Kendras (KSKs)—locally managed centres that provide inputs and services closer to where women farmers work, while also supporting aggregation and market access. In other sectors, efforts such as Shop No. 40 and SEWA Lilotri have explored retail and distribution models that connect cooperatives more directly with consumers.
“They reduced my effort of finding the right market to sell and get the right price. Next time also, I will sell it to Kheda Mandali.”
– Kantibhai, farmer, Nana Dadheda, Kheda Dist.
These approaches are not uniform. They evolve based on sector, geography, and the capacities of the cooperative. The focus remains on enabling women-led enterprises to engage with markets on more stable and informed terms.
