MHT was established in 1994 as an autonomous organization promoted by the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). MHT organizes and empowers poor women by facilitating the formation of community-based organizations (CBOs) and assisting them in gaining formal recognition from the government and service providers, so as to address the need for basic infrastructural services such as water, sanitation and electricity provision in slums.

1. MODEL - NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
MHT was established in 1994 as an autonomous organization promoted by the Self Employed Women’s Association
(SEWA). MHT organizes and empowers poor women by facilitating the formation of community-based organizations
(CBOs) and assisting them in gaining formal recognition from the government and service providers, so as to address the
need for basic infrastructural services such as water, sanitation and electricity provision in slums.
THE PROBLEM
The process of town planning is typically opaque and
top-down.This impacts the poor most adversely,as urban
growth plans tend to overlook the needs of slum-
dwellers, and their rights to services such as water and
sanitation.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
MHT brings basic services and entitlements to the grassroots through
community empowerment, and by facilitating engagement with the
government and the private sector, adopting the following steps:
Generating Demand and Creating a Slum Transformation Plan:
MHT enters slum communities, and mobilizes women through
sensitization meetings and activities, discussing the potential impact
collective action can have. It helps the residents to assess needs and
design their own development plans.
Founded as an autono-
mous organization,
promoted by SEWA
Parivartan, implemented in
partnership with local
government in Ahmedabad,
aimed at converting slums
to residential societies, by
facilitating access to seven
basic services including
water and sanitation
Following success in
Ahmedabad, invited to
Surat and Baroda to
improve provision of
basic services under the
National Slum
Development Program
Parivartan scales to 12
cities across six states
in India
To deepen engagements,
coalitions of CBOs
(Vikasinis) formed, for the
poor to effectively
interface with urban local
governments
MHT’s RESPONSE
MHT develops grassroots women’s leadership to
give poor and marginalized women a voice, thus
empowering them to participate in the framing of
policies, laws and schemes that determine their
development. Through this, MHT works towards
fostering more inclusive town-planning.
Gujarat Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT)
www.mahilahousingtrust.org
Founded: 1994 | Head Office: Ahmedabad | Coverage: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand | Full-Time Staff: 70 | Budget (2013-14): Organization – 4.8 crore; Governance – 2.3 crore
HOW DID IT EVOLVE?
1994 1998 2001 2007 2008
Gujarat Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT)
MHT then collectivizes and trains community members, forming
CBOs, and imparts training on how to obtain clearances for, and how
to undertake construction of infrastructure; on accessing
government schemes; and on running CBOs effectively.
Forming and Strengthening Community-Based Organizations:
MHT liaises with the government to recognize slum settlement plots,
and assists CBOs in working with urban local bodies and the private
sector to ensure delivery of basic services.
Service Delivery of Water, Sanitation, Energy and Housing:
It helps in forming and mentoring CBOs at the slum level, and
consolidates these into city-wide federations called Vikasinis.
Vikasinis are further mentored, to take forward pro-poor governance
and provide inputs in development plans.
MHT uses its learnings to directly advocate for pro-poor policies,
working with national programs such as JNNURM and RAY.
Participatory Urban Governance and City Planning:
KEY INTERVENTIONS
1. Building awareness and mobilizing citizens
2. Training citizens for public engagement
3. Creating knowledge and evidence
4. Advocacy for policy design and
implementation
5. Technology platforms and solutions
6. Facilitating independent and inclusive
journalism
7. Capacity building of government officials
8. Capacity building of local partners
9. Facilitating platforms for multi-stakeholder
engagement

2. WHAT’S NEXT?
MHT is in the process of developing and refining an ICT-enabled system, which informs citizens on the state of basic
service provision and urban infrastructure, facilitating citizen-led planning. The system also shares information
on municipal processes, and allows citizens to track applications. This project is currently being piloted in one zone of
Ahmedabad.
In addition to strengthening three existing Vikasinis, it is looking to establish Vikasinis in 10 other cities. To enable all
Vikasinis to have a more informed say in urban infrastructure plans, MHT is also working towards further demystifying
urban land tenure and town planning systems.
MHT believes that all citizens have a right to equal access to basic civic services. Enabling the poor to have their own city-
level organizations helps them claim this right by effectively engaging with local governments, sharing their issues and
concerns and working collectively to devise locally relevant solutions. A collective voice and common platform ensure that
they are treated justly by all service providers.
- Bijal Brahmbhatt, director
citizenvoice policy law servicedelivery thinktank transparency RTI
elections budgets urbangovernance panchayatiraj accesstojustice
technology humanrights independentmedia
We view our partnership with MHT as
analogous to performing the role of a ‘water
purifier’. We go into underdeveloped,
‘impure’ areas and assist women in these
areas in ‘purifying’ them into clean, healthy
environments.
- Minaben,
(Vikasini member)
MHT has worked with 84,000 families in urban and rural areas, across six states; these households have been able to
access infrastructural services, assisted by MHT’s approach to collectivizing citizens to work with the government
towards their development.
To date, MHT has mobilized nearly INR 50 crore from local governments and communities towards slum development.
The Vikasini in Ahmedabad has provided inputs for Ahmedabad’s City Development Plan for 2020, working alongside
the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
12 A 80 G FCRA
WHAT HAS IT ACHIEVED?
VOICES FROM THE GROUND
The organization is led by Bijal Brahmbhatt, a civil
engineer with over 15 years of experience in water,
sanitation and housing development.
The senior management is part of the Dasra Social
Impact Leadership Program, 2014.
Funders include the Gates Foundation, Dell Foundation
On the Steering Committee of the Delhi Municipal Act
for the Poor.
Nominated on the Slum Notification Board of
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in 2014.
Works with international organizations including WEIGO,
based out of Harvard University; Asian Coalition of
Housing Rights.
The ICT-enabled governance project has won the 2014
Urban Resilience Competition organized by USAID,
Pulse Lab Jakarta, UN Habitat and UNDP.
QUALITY INDICATORS
Gujarat Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT)
Leadership
Partnerships
Endorsements