Jeevika: Law, Liberty & Livelihood Campaign is an award winning effort aimed to eradicate market entry and exit barriers to promote individual livelihood freedom for street entrepreneurs (i.e. street hawkers, cycle rickshaw pullers, small shop owners etc.)
Our focus was on street vending and artisanship in Bihar and street vending and cycle rickshaw pulling in Rajasthan.
Work in Rajasthan: Our model relies on higher-level outreach and mass campaigning supported by field visits and documented research. Our efforts are to engage government partners with market leaders to better recommend economic freedom in the area and improve communication between the government and informal sector workers.
We're excited to share that on 12 February 2015, the Rajasthan HC ruled for implementation of the Rajasthan Street Vendors Act, 2012 within the next month, and called for stay on eviction of street vendors and confiscation of their property.
CCS, Heritage Thadi-Thela Foundation and Centre for Policy Solutions had filed a writ petition challenging eviction of vendors that was occurring despite the Act being passed in 2012. Click here for more information.
Work in Bihar: Alongside local partner NIDAN, Jeevika is building community empowerment and delivering educational workshops on how current policy is affecting their livelihood. The goal is to inform street entrepreneurs to better engage them in pressurising the state governments to lift licensing and regulatory conditions limiting economic activity and property rights for the poor.
Our four year campaign culminated in the passing of the National Street Vendor (Regulation and Protection of Vending) Act, 2014.
Know more about our policy impact and approach on www.jeevika.org.