Origin of the Movement.
? NDWM made is humble beginnigs in 1985 in Tamil Nadu by Sr. Jeanne Devos, ICM.
? The Movement has spread to 23 States in India from North to South, from Central and tribal belt in 28 languages.
? The Movement has 2 million members.
Vision:
? NDWM envision a society where, domestic workers are treated with dignity and Justice, their rights are upheld, they are recognized for the contribution they make towards the economy and development , their voices are heard.
? We also envision a society where child Domestic Work is abolished and all children enjoy the right to education and full childhood.
Mission
? Dignity of Domestic work and all domestic workers.
? Justice for all domestic Workers and Workers’ rights.
? Empowerment of domestic workers. Participation of domestic workers in their struggle for justice.
? Recognizing child domestic work as child labour to be abolished and give the children the right to mainstream education.
? Crises intervention with rehabilitation, truma counseling, legal and medical aid.
? Networking on local, National and International levels.
? Prevent trafficking of women and children for forced labour.
? Work against discrimination and for equality and rights of Migrant workers.
? Influence public opinion for respect and rights for domestic work.
Aim and Objectives:
? To give dignity to Domestic work and Domestic workers.
? To obtain justice and rights for Domestic Workers and legal protection.
? To organize and to empower the women Domestic workers on issues like violence against women, poverty of women as well as gender based discrimination of women.
Objectives for CDWS
? To remove child domestic workers from the workplace.
? To improve their terms and conditions of work.
? To rehabilitate child domestic workers and reintegrate them into a Normal childhood environment.( edn for all)
? To prevent children entering in to domestic employment.
The Movement works through a three pronged response
? With the workers themselves, educating and empowering them about their rights.
? With the general public, seeking to increase awareness about the concerns of domestic workers and fighting myths to change their mind set towards positive approach.
? With the government and other official bodies
(like Labour commission, ILO, UN), lobbying for protection, legal recognition and other benefits for the workers.
Strategies
? We organize and empower the domestic workers through awareness creation and information sessions on various issues.
? We provide crisis intervention and assistance to rehabilitate and reintegrate abused/ victimized domestic workers.
? We actively lobby and campaign for the rights of domestic workers and advocate justice for them.
? We Network with other organization, like the UNO, ILO, Justice and Peace Commission, Anti- Slavery International, Human Rights Asia, Migrant Forum Asia and other Community Centers and Welfare Agencies at both the national and International levels.
Advocacy for DWS
? To recognize domestic workers as workers.
? To get them in the schedule of Minimum Wage Act.
? To get a separate bill regulating terms and conditions of service of domestic Workers.
? To get DWs included in the Bill Reg Social Security for Unorganized Labour support groups.
? Empowering methodologies.
Task forces within the Movement.
? Anti-trafficking and Migration.
? Legislation and Policy Formulation.
? Social Security
? Networking and Unionizing.
? Training and Capacity building.
? Children in domestic work.
Important day celebrated:
? 9th January- World Domestic Workers Day.
? 17th February- International Day of Hope for children.
? 8th March International Women’s Day.
? 1st May- Worker’s Day
? 12th June- Anti Child Labour Day.
? 14th November- Children’s Day.
? 16th December – Migrant day
Achievements:
? Domestic Workers has been recognized as workers and brought under the schedule of Unorganized workers at National level.
? In five states Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharastra DW have been brought under the Minimum Wages Act of 1948.
? In Three States Minimum wages ( Kerala and Kanataka and Andra pradesh) has been specified by the department of Labour.
? In Tamilnadu Preliminary notification has been issued on the Minimum wage for Domestic workers and final notification is awaited.
? Tamilnadu government has given Separate Welfare Board for Domestic workers.
? Tamilnadu domestic workers has been registered as trade union and avail welfare benefits.
? In some of the State the Movement has advanced to form union, register them , join them with LIC and other welfare measures.
? The Movement has also taken up the pre departure training programme for those going to overseas and repatriation of those who have returned and find difficult when they want to return.
? The Movement works with some of the embassies especially in the Middle East to help those with problem at the foreign countries.
? Awareness on child rights among various sections of people has been undertaken through street plays, film, poster, competitions, celebrations of child right days etc.
? The intervention of NDWM to high light the exploitation of children in domestic work for the last 15-20 years has made the issue of children in domestic work in public and into the various agenda of National and International bodies.
? The bill to ban child laobur in domestic work is passed needs to be fully implemented.
? Legal assistance has been provided to domestic workers and children in domestic work and bonded labour.
In 1997 Sr. Jeanne Devos led the campaign to pressure the Un to recognize domestic work as a form of contemporary slavery. Two years later, her efforts, along with similar groups in Latin America and south Africa, succeeded in getting the ILO to declare domestic work as one of the four worst forms of child labour.
2010 ILO convention will discuss the issues of domestic workers at world level.
By organizing and empowering domestic workers, influencing public opinion and lobbying the Government for their recognition as workers and for regulating the terms and conditions of service, NDWM is improving the lives of an overlooked and exploited group, both in India and Internationally.
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This post was submitted by Sr. Valarmathi.
