Curtain Raiser: NHRC Regional workshop on Human Rights of Domestic Workers begins at Pune on 30th August, 2019 (29.08.2019)

New Delhi, 29th August, 2019

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India is organizing a day long Regional Workshop on “Human Rights of Domestic Workers: Issues and Challenges” at Conference Hall, Saraswati Building, ILS Law College, Pune, Maharashtra on 30th August, 2019. Dr. D.M. Mulay, Member, NHRC will inaugurate it. The participating States include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. The Commission has collaborated with ILS Law College, Pune for organizing this workshop.

Domestic work is the fastest growing sector of employment in urban areas of India. It is also the first source of entry into the labour markets for unskilled migrant workers, especially women, who come to urban area in search of livelihood. Non-regulation and precarious working conditions of the domestic workers is a direct denial of their labour rights.

The Commission has felt that there is a need to open the dialogue for domestic workers to bring them into the mainstream and facilitate access to decent employment conditions for this disadvantaged group, mainly comprising of women and girls. Domestic workers deserve rights and respect. Domestic work is highly localized – isolated because it is usually performed in individual homes – and characterized by considerable labor migration within and across national borders.

Given significance of domestic work in the Indian economy and vulnerability of the people engaged in this labour market activity, the objectives of this regional conference would be:

1. To understand the issues and challenges of domestic workers in India from a human rights perspective- A situational analysis into the ground reality of India.

2. To advocate for designing specific legislations to regulate the domestic work on the state and central level.

3. To advocate legislative inclusion of domestic workers in existing laws related to minimum wages, unorganized sector, and social security.

4. To recognize domestic workers as ‘workers’ under the law towards fair terms of employment, social protection and labour welfare.

For discussions on such aspects, the conference, besides the inaugural session, has been divided into three thematic sessions. These are Domestic Workers in India- Issues and Challenges, Mapping Domestic Workers in the Indian Legislative and Welfare Framework and Regulation of Domestic Work – A Road ahead.

Mr. Jaideep Govind,, Secretary General and other senior officers of the Commission, Dr. Tejaswini Malegaonkar, Faculty Coordinator, Human Rights Cell, ILS Law College, Pune and her associates will be present. The other participants will include, among others, Ms. Soso Shaiza, Member, NCW, representatives of Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, representatives of State Governments, representatives of National Workers’ Movement, Action Aid Association, Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council, Civil Society representatives, academia.

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