Page 31 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018

WOMEN’S DAY

Woes of domestic helps go unheard rights activist, highlight-
ing their pain and agony.
On the long road to
struggle for women
The fight for women power should not be limited to upper and small towns to large cities, social rights, complete eman-
middle class females but should also focus on the rights of poor security benefits remain absent in cipation is only possible
most of the cases. when the sidelined ques-
and marginalized women, writes mudit mathur The lack of written contracts tion of marginalized class
in the employer-dominated work of women is also raised
setup escape their right to avail and women, irrespective
ime is now.” The theme of understanding of their working paid maternity leaves, health ben- of class distinction, stand
International Women’s conditions. Firstly a vast chunk of efits, weekly offs, minimum wage with one another. As dis-
Day this year lays special these women are rural migrants, guarantee and job security. The cussed certain issues like
emphasis on empower- usually unskilled and uneducated undetermined working conditions equality with men, equal
T ing women in all settings. working as part time/ full time help and duration of work often lead pay for equal work, pro-
Answering this call for women soli- to supplement the merge incomes them to suffer over-exploitation. tection from violence
darity, the celebration of woman- of their families. Further, their pov- Another issue of serious concern and harassment concern
hood and struggle for equal rights erty, illiteracy and lack of unioniza- is the vulnerability of such women all women but often the
should not be limited to issues of tions make them accept the unilat- to sexual abuse and violence. Data powerlessness and invis-
upper and middle class women eral terms of employment as set by released by the Ministry of Women ibility of poor womenfolk
but also be inclusive of the rights of the employer often even agreeing and Child Development in Febru- leaves them even more
poor and marginalized women. to be paid very low wages or even ary 2014, published in response vulnerable and voiceless.
A considerable populace of the to a question tabled in the upper Breaking away from
urban poor women in India finds house of Parliament, track reports maker Shashi Tharoor, lies pending efforts, a large majority of domestic the patriarchy, women were in fact
employment as domestic helpers. In 2004-05, there of violence against domestic help- in the parliament. The bill proposes workers remain outside the protec- first to make the world realize that
National Sample Survey data of ers between 2010 and 2012. Over- compulsory registration of employ- tion of labour laws even today. household chores cannot be taken
2004-05 depicts that there were 4.2 were 4.2 million all, in India’s 28 states and 7 union er and employee with the district Serfdom, in fact, exists even to- for granted.
million domestic workers in India, domestic workers territories, there were 3,564 cases boards for regulation of domestic day in our society as a worst form Health, hygiene, nutrition, child
out of which more than 3 million of alleged violence against domes- workers and recommends the col- of deep-rooted feudal mindset that and adult care are responsibilities
were women. Trade Unions esti- in India, out tic workers reported in 2012, up lection of a cess from the employer snatches away basic human dignity which are essential to physical, emo-
mate the figures to be much high- of which more slightly from 3,517 in 2011 and 3,422 for the maintenance of domestic by adding to more inequalities in our tional and cognitive development
er at around 10 million, of which in 2010. Maids living in West Bengal, worker’s social security fund there- system. of the family, and are a key to lead a
roughly 54 per cent are women. than 3 million reported the highest number of cas- by attempting to induce profession- No questions are raised to the le- contented life.
The work of these women includes were women, es of violence against them in 2012, alism to a category of employment gitimacy of such forms of informal There is today an increasing
cooking, cleaning, grocery shop- according to the first state-wise which as of now stands degraded labour or its exploitation because it acceptability that household work
ping, caretaking of children and according to the breakdown of domestic help abuse. as servitude. effectively serves the requirement of is not gender specific but involves a
elders. Most of them are from vul- West Bengal had the highest The state governments of Andhra our urban way of life. healthy cooperation of all. Here the
nerable communities- poor Dalits, data revealed by number of cases of such abuse in Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, On one hand it is taken as a ser- important roles played by domes-
Adivasis or landless OBCs, most of National Sample 2012, with 549 maids and help- Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ma- vice of necessity, on the other hand tic helps also needs recognition.
them migrant workers due to un- ers filing complaints against their harashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and household services have been in- Obliviousness to rights and denial of
certainty of regular employment. Survey Organisation employers. Tamil Nadu registered Tamil Nadu have taken several steps ternalized by our parochial minds respect to domestic workers instead
The nature of work itself is such the second highest number with to improve the working conditions as something so basic that if fails to inherit same and similar systems of
that it is stereotyped as ‘feminine’, 528 cases reported in 2012, while its of domestic workers and to provide qualify as ‘work’. It is such mental patriarchal dominance over poor
somewhat of a ‘lower order’ and the in kind, violating minimum wages neighbour Andhra Pradesh had the access to social security schemes. constrains that often domestic help- women as a cost of emancipation of
very idea of ‘household’ as a ‘work- fixed under law. third greatest with 506 cases regis- Seven states including Andhra ers are subjected ill treatment, disre- the rich.
place’ is not received well by peo- The low and stagnant wage rates tered over the same period. Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karna- spect, humiliation and discrimina- This women’s day therefore we
ple generally. With the prevalence compel women to seek employ- With the absence of comprehen- taka, Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan tion on grounds of religion, sex, caste must draw our attention to the col-
of such a casual attitude towards ment in multiple households, even sive legal safeguards, any grievance have introduced minimum wages and ethnicity. lective rights of women, raising our
household chores, domestic work- engaging their teenage daughters in if registered is dealt under Unorgan- for domestic workers. The state gov- “The main issues that concern voices to qualify household chores
ers continue to struggle for respect- the same profession, compromising ised Social Security Act 2008 and ernments of Kerala, Maharashtra, domestic workers are: lack of de- as equally important work, standing
ability, security, rights and visibility. upon their right to free education, Sexual Harassment Against Wom- Tamil Nadu have also constituted cent wages and work conditions, up together to liberate all women-
The backgrounds to which these continuing the vicious cycle of pov- en At Workplace Act 2013, while the Welfare Boards for domestic work- no defined work time, no weekly folk from the chains of control and
poor women are increasingly seek- erty and deprivation. Though the Domestic Workers Regulation of ers who are able to avail of welfare offs, loneliness, violence, abuse and dominance.
ing employment in the informal wage rates and material conditions Work and Social Security Bill 2016, benefits by registering with these sexual harassment in the work -
household works require deeper of domestic helpers fluctuate from a private Bill introduced by law- Boards. However, despite these place,” said Naish Hasan, a women letters@tehelka.com

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