This episode of Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center features Mohana Sundari, a thirty-nine-year-old woman living in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in the capital city of Chennai. Many, even in India, are unaware that women drivers like Mohana exist. From an early age, Mohana has questioned and pushed against the limits placed on girls and women, forging her own path. The first installment in a three-part series, this episode explores Mohana’s family background and childhood, and the roots of her fiercely independent spirit. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

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This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector—an often-overlooked majority in India's labor force.

While Tamil Nadu is celebrated for having the largest share of women in the formal manufacturing sector, this progress narrative eclipses the lived experiences of the vast majority of women workers laboring in informal and unorganized sectors. ECTE equips these workers with tools to build worker-owned cooperatives, shape impact media, and advocate for inclusive policy change.

ECTE has been a strong supporter of the formation of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), an all-women trade organization established in Chennai. Through this initiative, ECTE is partnering with workers and the organization's leadership committee, including Mohana Sundari, president of VPMS, to provide vital information, tools, and resources that enable women to explore alternative opportunities, leading to improved wages, living conditions, benefits, and an enhanced quality of life.

Related links

ECTE on Instagram Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam on Instagram Re:Work on Instagram UCLA Labor Center website Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) website The Hindu - Women auto drivers from Chennai who took IIM by storm (video) The Hindu - Breaking barriers: Chennai auto driver wins Kamla Bhasin Award for gender equality The Hindu - Meet the ‘Auto Queens’: This Tamil documentary highlights Chennai’s women auto drivers

Today’s story comes to us from Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists.

Over the past few years, around 40,000 Venezuelans arrived in Denver fleeing political and economic instability. Initially, with help from the city and non-profit organizations, many were able to find stable housing and jobs. But with all the recent changes in immigration policy, they now face an uncertain future.

This episode is a part of a Feet in 2 Worlds series called The Hustle, which focuses on the ways in which immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds, please visit fi2w.org.