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Live-in Domestic Workers
 Live-in
domestic workers reside at the place of employment. They are
engaged in all domestic work ranging from housekeeping, washing
clothes, utensils, cooking and as the case maybe baby, children or
elderly care. They depend on their employers for basic needs such
as food and shelter. Most live-ins are women who have migrated or
have been trafficked from villages to cities in search of
employment. They are to large extent children, unmarried and
sometimes married young girls, separated or widowed women.
Conditions of Live-in Domestic Workers
Live-in Domestic Workers are most vulnerable to exploitation
because they are isolated from their families and friends and are
at the mercy of their employers. They are unable to refuse work
and are punished when they make mistakes. They work on an average
of eighteen hours a day and are practically on call at all hours.
The employer restricts the liberty of the live-in domestic
worker. She is prevented from leaving the building at will and her
movements are greatly restricted within the house. Their sleeping
hours are irregular. Often they are underpaid or unpaid. They get
no holidays or days off. They are illiterate and have no means to
contact their families. Because of isolation, live-in Domestic
Workers face an increased risk of verbal, physical and sexual
abuse. To compound matters, many Domestic Workers maybe illiterate
or semi-literate.
Part-time Domestic Workers
 Part-time/Live-out
domestic workers are generally locals or migrants in the city
where they are employed. They mostly live in slums and work in
different houses of employers to earn their livelihood. They are
called part timers/live-outs not because they do only part time
work but because they do not stay with the employer and are not
generally on call 24 hours a day. They either work all
day for one employer or repeatedly perform specific tasks like
washing clothes, dishes, or cooking for a number of employers.
Part-timers are less dependent on their employers than full
timers. They live with their families, thereby in effect, run
their homes, as well as those of their employers. However, they
are less dependent on their employers for their basic needs and
are characterized with a greater degree of independence than the
live-ins.
Conditions of Part-time Domestic Workers
In general, they are illiterate. They have to go to different
houses with no fixed minimum wage (in many cases they receive very
low pay). At the end of the day’s work, they return to their homes
to continue with their own household chores. These women have no
financial support from their husbands or wards, as they too are
illiterate and unable to get jobs. Some of them have alcoholic or
abusive husbands. So these women have to work hard to meet both
ends and are sometimes unable to send their children to school or
provide health care in case of need. Due to the dual
responsibility, they tend to face a greater burden of work, which
if not properly managed, leads to job insecurity.
Overall Conditions of Domestic Workers Domestic workers have no
job security and can be fired at the whim of their employers. They
are constantly vulnerable to verbal, physical, and sexual
harassment and have nowhere to turn to complain of ill treatment.
Part-time workers are unable to leave positions in which they are
harassed due to a constant fear of eviction from their houses in
slums or on the pavements and the need to support their families.
Most face domestic violence at the hands of abusive, alcoholic
husbands.
Domestic workers are stigmatized because their work is viewed
as low, dirty, and menial. Unquestioning obedience is expected and
in the case of full time workers, they are unable to refuse work.
Nearly all part-timers work seven days a week, with no day off in
the year. Wages greatly vary from a low of Rs 150 to a high of Rs
2000 a month (Approximately from 3 to 40 USD). Domestic workers do
not receive medical benefits.
Domestic Workers with the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM)
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Domestic workers are not yet integrated into the
Indian society. By establishing personal contacts, Domestic
Workers begin to feel more accepted and treated with dignity.
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Domestic Workers are organized and empowered.
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The Movement is actively involved in lobbying
and campaigning for domestic workers' rights and justice as
workers.
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Information sessions are given on various topics
and Domestic Workers are supported in their day-to-day problems
at their workplace and at home.
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Awareness is created about the risks implied
with migrating to bigger cities or foreign countries.
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Through awareness campaigns, advocacy and
lobbying push-factors leading to migration are reduced.
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Networks with organizations like UNICEF, ILO,
YUVA, CCVC, AMC, GAATW, Anti-Slavery International, Human Rights
- Asia, Community Centers and Welfare Agencies at both national
and international levels is established to work together towards
the rights and justice for Domestic Workers.
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