WHAT  WE  DO  IN  INDIA

We aim to support the domestic worker’s fight for just wages and human working conditions. We work towards a society where each and every domestic worker has dignity and enjoys life as part of the community. We form ‘groups of strengths’ that sustain the struggle for recognition and make a lasting impact on society in India and elsewhere.

The movement works through a three-pronged response

  1. with the workers themselves, informing them about their rights;
  2. with the general public, seeking to increase awareness about the concerns of domestic workers;
  3. with the government and other official bodies (create link to the according page > Associations/corporations/networking)

 

A    WHOM WE WORK FOR

 

The National Domestic Workers’ Movement strives for the empowerment of domestic workers in India and Indian migrants working abroad. Domestic workers, particularly child workers and full-timers, are routinely denied basic rights. They comprise one of the most vulnerable and exploited groups of the unorganized sector. They are engaged in such tasks as cooking, washing, and cleaning, which are traditionally seen as women's jobs and therefore looked down upon. In India, the disdain for domestic work is heightened by the caste system, as tasks such as cleaning and sweeping are associated with low castes. Thus, domestic workers are paid well below the minimum wage for unskilled and semi-skilled workers and are discriminated against. Labor laws do not cover domestic workers. Because of this, employers can hire, fire, and mistreat domestic workers at their will.

A great number of full-time domestic workers are recruited from villages or tribal areas. and have to adapt to an alien environment, culture, and language. They experience a tremendous sense of loneliness because of the solitary nature of their work. This loneliness is compounded by the fact that most of them have no or very little time off and are unable to communicate with distant friends and relatives due to their illiteracy. Often they are not allowed to use the telephone and are prohibited from socializing with friends and relatives who are living and working in the same city.

Domestic workers comprise three main groups:

  1. (proper) domestic workers (create link to the according page > domestic workers info)
  2. child domestic workers(create link to the according page > child domestic workers info)
  3. migrant workers(create link to the according page > migrant workers info)

 

B     VISION

To create a society for domestic workers where they are treated with dignity and justice, their rights are upheld, they are recognized for their contribution towards economy and development, and where their voices are heard. We also envision a society in which child domestic work is abolished and all children enjoy the rights of mainstream education and full childhood.

 

C    MISSION      

As a movement we commit ourselves to working for

  1. Dignity of domestic work and all domestic workers
  2. Justice for all domestic workers and workers rights
  3. Empowerment of domestic workers
  4. The recognition of child domestic work as a form of hazardous child labor and its according  abolishment
  5. The right of a childhood for child domestic workers
  6. The right to mainstream education for child domestic workers

 

D    STRATEGIES & ACTIVITIES

  1. Performing deterrent action
  2. Establishing personal contacts
  3. Organizing domestic workers and support community leaders
  4. Providing information on domestic workers’ rights and providing non-formal education (NFE)
  5. Establishing self-help groups (SHG)
  6. Setting up cultural activities and celebrations of festivals
  7. Counseling and crisis intervention
  8. Awareness-building among domestic workers and the public
  9. Lobbying, advocacy and campaign
  10. Providing documentation and publication
  11. Performing studies and surveys
  12. Networking with other groups and organizations (create link to the according page > F networking)