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  Domestic Worker Sujatha Makes it to ILO Geneva

Decent Work for Domestic Workers
 

  International Labour Organization Convention

At its 302nd session in March 2008, the ILO Governing Body has agreed to place our item on their agenda. In 2010 the 99th Session of the International Labor Conference will talk about “Decent work for Domestic Workers”, their discussions will focus on Setting Labor Standards for domestic workers. By 2011, the International Labour Organization in Geneva with more than 156 member countries, including India will adopt an international standard listing our rights as workers. We have been working with labor organizations since the last seven years to ensure that domestic workers get their Rights. In the beginning it looked impossible but now it looks like we will soon be able to make it possible.

The ministry of labour has contacted the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM) and we will surely share the experiences of domestic workers with them. The national office has initiated this process in the different states and soon we will have enough data to make it easier for the government to complete the questionnaire.

 

  CIDSE Conference at Netherlands

For the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Populorum Progression (PP), selected team members of the National Domestic Workers’ Movement at the behest of the Broderlijk Delen, presented the work of the Movement through various case studies of victimised domestic workers. They described how the Populorum Progressio and Catholic Social Teaching have had a strong influence in the work of the Movement.
 

  ILO Workshop on Skills Development

The ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour & Employment is operationalising the Skills Development Initiative by designing and undertaking a pilot programme with a focus on four selected clusters: Brassware, Glassware, Textile and Domestic Workers. On the 17th-18th October 2007, the third workshop was held in the series of consultation and addresses for the Domestic Workers. Sr. Lissy, Regional Co-ordinator, Andhra Pradesh and Core Member, National Team, represented the Movement, and shared her views and findings in areas of Capacity Building for Domestic Workers. This initiative combines the development and provision of short-term training courses-- Modular Employable Skills (MES) and certification based in a public and private partnership.
 

  South Asia Regional Conference of the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT)

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in collaboration with the Home Ministry, organised a two-day conference on the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. The conference was held on the 10-11 October 2007. It was successful in bringing together 800 people to put forward a declaration in the the struggle against human trafficking in South Asia. Participants from across South Asia included private sector leaders, government officials, artistes, media, civil society organisation and other UN agencies. Sr. Christin Mary, Regional Co-ordinator for Maharastra state represented the National Domestic Workers’ Movement at the conference. She provided inputs in the Working Group area of Trafficking for forced labour. Here, she indicated the need for strong awareness campaigns through street plays, skits, leaflets, posters. etc.., at the source areas to help curb the menace of trafficking. Further the local government bodies should encouraged to form self help groups and job oppportunities for women in their region. Moreover, village level vigilant committees should be formed at the source areas to identify and bring to task trafficking agents.
 

  Asian Domestic Workers’ Assembly

The first Asian Domestic Workers’ Assembly was held on 17-18 June 2007 at Philippines. Ms. Marina Basumatary from the National Domestic Workers’ Movement North-east Region represented the Movement. This was the second regional consultation focusing on ‘migration and development’ and the position of migrant domestic workers in Asia. A Statement of Unity was drawn out affirming their stand that Domestic Work is Work! Women’s Work is Work! They resolved to address priority issues at pre-departure stage, onsite and at workplace and on return and repatriation. Together, they sought to build the Asian Migrant Domestic workers’ Regional Alliance and Strategic Action agenda.
 

  Second International Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect

Professor Peter Adrienssens and his team in the Confidential Centre for Child Abuse and Neglect in the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium take efforts to attend the needs of children. They rehabilitate them to a fuller life through trauma counseling for the children and their parents. The Second International Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect, which was held on 7th May 2007, was a training and exchange of proven practices in the areas of child abuse and neglect. 19 participants from NDWM along with Sr. Jeanne were invited to participate in this conference. The conference featured eight experts from United Kingdom, United States and Belgium, each with authority on specific fields related to child maltreatment, and all providing information about contemporary trends in research and practice in the field of dealing with child abuse and neglect. The participants included practitioners, policy makers and researchers. Princess Matilde of Belgium was also present and spoke about her concerns for these children. Thereafter, she gave an audience to the Indian delegates to learn more about the work of the Movement.

The training was a platform to share and learn from each other’s experiences and create a better partnership for the work of the cause. It also boosted the spirit of the team members to work with deeper commitment.
 

  South Asia Field Exchange Program

This program was a follow-up to the International Practitioners Meeting that was organized in November 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand. This field exchange program was designed to generate a deeper understanding of issues and strategies relating to sustaining interventions for child domestic workers. The program was organized by NDWM and Arunodhaya Centre for street and working children, as members of Child Workers in Asia (CWA) and in partnership with Anti-Slavery International. The eleven day exchange program brought together 30 participants from different organizations in South Asia working with child domestic workers.