The State and Labor in Transnational Activism: The Case of India

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the state and informal workers’ transnational labor movements. Using the case of the Self-Employed Women’s Association, I illustrate how Indian informal workers are launching an alternative labor movement that addresses their unique conditions by simultaneously privileging the central role of the nation state and leveraging the power of the transnational arena. Indian informal workers use three types of transnational activism to generate new forms of integration with the Indian state. Doing so helps them increase informal workers’ visibility and integrate their issues into government agendas. To attract state attention, informal workers’ transnational efforts focus on local issues and a commitment to empowerment. These findings highlight the potential for Southern leadership in transnationalism and the role that democratic political structures play in shaping transnational labor efforts.