In keeping with a historied tradition of honoring individuals who have had a transformative impact on society, Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study bestowed this year's Radcliffe Institute Medal upon Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), a UU Holdeen India Program partner. “The definition of leader in SEWA is one who helps make others lead,” said Radcliffe Institute Dean Barbara J. Grosz, quoting Bhatt during her introductory remarks on Radcliffe Day, which took place May 27th. With a legacy of leading and creating leaders, Bhatt certainly fits the bill. Empowering over 1.3 million marginalized women in India since 1972, SEWA, under Bhatt's leadership, has created a social justice movement that's challenging and changing the very fabric of Indian society, believing that "it is from the margins that real transformation comes to the center." With its origins as a women’s trade union, SEWA has steadily developed into a self-governed NGO, offering assistance in the form of microlending, health and life insurance, and child care to its members. “The Radcliffe Institute is proud to honor [Bhatt] this year, in which gender in the developing world is one of its dominant themes,” the Institute said. The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is a scholarly community where individuals pursue advanced work across a wide range of academic disciplines, professions and creative arts, with sustained commitment to the study of women, gender, and society. Over the years, Bhatt has been internationally recognized for her incredible social justice work. Last November, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honored Bhatt with the Global Fairness Initiative Award; Bhatt was also the 2010 honoree of the Niwano Peace Prize. The Unitarian Universalist Association, through the UU Holdeen India Program, has been a strong ally and supporter of SEWA for the last 27 years.

Read Harvard Magazine's coverage of Radcliffe Day and hear Ela Bhatt's speech