Shantamma is a 25-year-old Bangalorean. But she in no way fits the clichéd image of a young denizen of IT City. Instead, she is a domestic help, pincered between harassment at home and her workplaces.
“My husband is pestering me for a divorce as he is involved with another woman. He does not help run the household. He beats me every day when I refuse to give him money to drink. It is difficult to look after my family with the pittance I get as domestic help.”
Tears of pain and frustration trickle from her eyes as she speaks of her sad life at the Domestic Workers' Public hearing, organised jointly by Domestic Workers' Rights Union (DWRU) in association with the support groups Stree Jagruti Samiti, APSA and Hengasara Hakkina Sangha (HHS) at SCM House, Mission Road on Tuesday.
The stories of Gouramma (21), Chandra (18) and others are no different. Some sobbed their hearts out narrating the kinds of harassment meted out to them. Their moving testimonies had a visible effect on the organisers and panellists.
Over 10 cases of rights violation of domestic workers were heard by the audience and panel members comprising Bharati, an officer from the Department of Women and Child Development; Sudha, counsellor; Arathi Mundkur, advocate; and Leena Kumari, women's rights activist of Mahila Samakhya.
Appalling conditions
The women's testimonies clearly indicated the appalling conditions in which domestic help work, which violate human rights. Some of the more serious violations include false accusations of crime, police harassment, disruption of family life, inhuman working conditions, and emotional and physical abuse.
A list of recommendations was made by the DWRU to address the issues, which will be submitted to government departments.
