Member of the National Commission for Women Charu Wali Khanna on Thursday rued the lack of sensitivity among people towards the plight of domestic workers, 90 per cent of whom were women, of which about 25 per cent were less than 14 years of age.
While a comprehensive legislation was urgently needed, Ms. Khanna said it should also be linked to a national policy for domestic workers for effective implementation. Citing the Domestic Workers Welfare and Social Security Bill 2010, she said two more drafts were being prepared. This held some promise to improve the lot of the marginalised women, she stated.
Lack of sensitivity
The absence of a comprehensive legislation was responsible for the rise in the number of atrocities and continued exploitation of domestic workers across the country, she said. It was unfortunate that sensitivity among people was by and large lacking and that this could only be rectified by taking up massive awareness campaigns.
“We simply cannot close our eyes to the fact that these women are what they are because of their weak economic condition and mostly due to an alcoholic, abusive husband or father. We need to address the problems of these poor girls,” she said on the sidelines of a roundtable here on Thursday.
The round table was an initiative of the National Alliance of Women (NAWO), in association with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the All India Federation for Domestic Workers and the National Centre for Labour (NCL).
In her inaugural address, NAWO president Ruth Manorama recalled the case of a domestic worker in New Delhi who was humiliated, tortured and murdered at the residence of an elected representative of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Senior Labour Adviser, FES, Pravin Sinha, in his presentation on the status, living and working conditions of domestic workers, said that due to inter-State migration, there was no protection for the workers.
Vasantha Kannabiran, founder of the Asmita Resource Centre For Women, said in her keynote address said the contribution of domestic workers must be recognised, valued, properly respected and remunerated.