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>View discussions about this entry Country: India
Organization: national Domestic Workers' Movement
Sector Focus - Civil society
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 1984
Project URL: http://www.ndwm.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - To empower women in domestic work to uphold their rights as women and workers and be treated with dignity with due recognition of their service to the economy and development of the country.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - Domestic work has been a denigrating profession in Indian society. These women have been subjected to conditions no less than contemporary slavery: less pay, poor working conditions, no rest or leisure. As a result of which these women feel insecure, non-assertive and submit themselves to their situations leading to exploitation at the workplace and undignified status in society.
We do not wish to stop domestic work, as the profession is a form of livelihood for these women. Ours is a rights-based approach. We aim at making civil society acknowledge the contribution of domestic workers to their quality of life and give them humanitarian regard. Our mission extends to working with government officials and labour ministries, to have them regard domestic workers as workers who contribute to the economy of the country and put in place proper statutes that will benefit them. In addition, we appeal to the government for the protection of women and children who are forced into domestic work through trafficking networks and bring to task trafficking elements. Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - We work at empowering domestic workers and building their capacity so that they improve on their work and personality and make them aware of their rights. Domestic workers are organized and solidarity is developed which is their biggest strength in times of abuse and threat. They are able to represent their workforce to the government and demand justice and provisions of law. In the issue of trafficking, village vigilant committees are set up and networks with police and local government bodies help prevent with menace.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - World Bank has reported that there are 90 million domestic workers in India. We have been able to reach out to 23 million of these workers. We have Domestic workers in from 23 states, in India, organized into groups. From each group, domestic worker leaders are appointed. These leaders are given training from personality development, through skills improvement and awareness of civic and social rights. They are instructed on how to handle situations that arise from work and how to approach the correct authorities to seek redressal of their grievances. Micro-financial savings schemes are introduced to them and they are encouraged to invest in group savings with banks, which can help them at times when loans are required. Leaders are also given inputs on the welfare schemes that can be availed from the government for people of the low-income group. These leaders in turn provide these inputs to the domestic workers of their groups. This education builds up the confidence of domestic workers and the solidarity gives them security as women and workers. Till date they have collaborated with the Movement in the efforts to bring about justice for them.
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - We are partnered with Broederlijk Delen, Belgium, Misereor, Germany, and Katholike Universitte, Leuven, Belgium. These institutions have supported the work of the Movement, which has enabled in the formation of groups, capacity building and training, advocacy, campaigns and crisis interventions.
We are also collaborated with the International Labour Organisations, UN Human Rights, Anti-Slavery International and Migrant Forum of Asia. Our co-ordinators and domestic worker leaders have represented our movement at the conventions for the analysis of the issues of domestic work. Our partnerships arise from the sharing of a common cause: which is the empowerment and development of domestic workers. In addition, the issues of trafficking for forced labour are condemned by organizations like Global Alliance Against Trafficking of Women (GAATW) and International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and UNIFEM have collaborated with the activities of the movement for the prevention of trafficking of women and children. Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - To eradicate the social stigma attached to domestic work and allow for domestic workers to enjoy rights due to them as women and workers.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - This work with domestic workers goes under the title of National Domestic Workers’ Movement. This non-profit organization was set-up in 1984 at Mumbai, India. Since then it has expanded into 23 other states of the country and have organized over 23 million domestic workers all over India. We operate in 28 languages and have worked with women in slavery from the north, south, east and west of India: an amalgamation of language and culture but all striving to achieve recognition of their work and welfare options. Many of these women are from rural, tribal or ethnical groups and have migrated to urban cities for domestic work.
We work with domestic workers, who are live-in (stay and work full-time with the employers), part-time (stay at their own residence and work with two or more employers), migrant domestic workers (women who leave rural areas for urban cities) and look into the cases of child domestic workers.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - Our work has definitely brought about a strong solidarity among the women. This empowerment has squashed all feelings of insecurity and has replaced it with confidence. We now see many of the women taking initiatives to approach police authorities and government for legal provisions and fight for justice in times of abuse and threat. They themselves have been able to identify abused victims and child domestic workers and bring trafficking agents to task. They are members of village vigilant committees and have helped in the prevention of trafficking.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - Our beneficiaries are girls and women of age groups 15 years and above who are engaged in domestic work. We work with women from rural, tribal and ethnical groups who are migrant domestic workers. In each state in India where our operations are carried out, we work with on an average at least 2000 women and girls. We rescue child domestic workers and provide them with bridge education and trauma counselling before repatriation to their families.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - The Movement is supported by the contributions of domestic workers. Our partners, Broederlijk Delen and Misereor, also support the work of the movement. Also we receive contributions from donors who support and regard the work of the Movement. We also have interests from investment.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: · Annual budget: INR Rs. 2,25,00,000/- · Annual revenue generated: INR Rs. 2,03,85,000/- · Number of staff (3 boxes: full-time, part-time, volunteers) Full-time: 300 Part-time: 200 Volunteers: 200 What is the potential demand for your innovation? - There is a great need to create a bigger awareness in society of the plight of domestic workers and to change the attitude towards them. These are women who perform their jobs as a means of livelihood, to help support their impoverished conditions. The government talks of trying to solve the poverty issue in the country. This is a way they can help by first standardizing the profession of domestic work: giving the women minimum wages structure and ensuring society follow these and providing social security and welfare schemes.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - The allowance of domestic workers is poor and hence their contribution to the work of the Movement is meager.
Our work is a process not a project: a process towards allowing society and government bodies to regularize domestic work in India. We cannot define a time-frame as to when this will be achieved. Results are seen in the course of time and it will happen with the continuous efforts of the people in the Movement. What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - Before 1978, only sporadic efforts were made to learn about the presence and plight of domestic workers in India. With a survey conducted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), their actual conditions came to the forefront with the survey reporting slavery-like conditions for domestic workers all over India. It was then on, that I began to work for women and children in domestic work. I started with the formation of small groups of domestic workers at Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, India. I was upset to hear about their situation and further angered by the attitudes of employers and society towards domestic workers. Society would consider domestic workers as a taboo group who were indebted to them, being lucky to have escaped poverty and able to live in the comfort of middle-class homes. But the stories revealed by domestic workers were a far cry from the truth. Domestic workers spoke of abuse, long hours of work with no time to rest and lack of food, sleep and pay.
I listened to their stories, recorded and read these back to the workers to secure authenticity. Through this process, comprehensive life histories were recorded, which were then processed and a social analysis undertaken. This exercise showcased the true condition of domestic workers as already reported in the first study in 1978. In 1984, the Bishops in tribal areas were concerned for the girls, women and children who were leaving villages for domestic work in towns. I was approached to help these people. That was the time I came to Mumbai and established the National Domestic Workers’ Movement in 1985. I felt that is was not enough to help them in the form of food, clothing and shelter but to empower them and help them fight for their rights and be given justice. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - I am a citizen of Belgium residing in India for over 30 years. I am from the congregation of the ICM sisters and am a Home Science graduate, ortho-psychologist and accupedist. I began my work with deaf children and then in 1966, I initiated the Indian Youth Student Movement. In 1985, I established the National Domestic Workers’ Movement. Here, I played an active role in securing recognition for domestic workers at the international level by the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation. UN went on to declare that domestic work is a contemporary form of slavery and ILO recognized chidlrenn in domestic work as one of the worst form of child labour. I have been instrumental in lobbying with government officials in India to include children in domestic work in the Law that bans child labour.
Contact Information:
Jeanne Devos
National Co-ordinator national Domestic Workers' Movement (NGO) Discussions about this entry |
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On July 16, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Competition and would like to pass on the following feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators who are exposing, confronting and ending modern day slavery. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This approach is unique in that it empowers women to stand up for their rights as domestic workers. We commend its ambitious goals in working with an often-ignored sector and would like to learn more about its laudable efforts to achieve impactful and sustainable results.”
“There are political aspects to this initiative that can improve the attitudes around the world toward domestic servants and empower and mobilize this sector to stand up for their rights. This initiative is replicable, sustainable, and a model for positive action. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is very interested in working with them to learn about their work and help spread awareness of the issue to the larger global community.”
- Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Judges: United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking, International Organization for Migration, Design Within Reach, Vital Voices Global Partnership, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Humanity United.
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The Changemakers Team
Ashoka's Changemakers
Yes ! Very often we do not realize that there are peole around us who make a great contribution in one's life. Certainly the Domestic workers; who are every day in our families. It is because of them that our life becomes easy, colourful, success..etc. But the same persons are not considered as our comanions in our life journey. Sr. Jean; therefore has seen the hidden value in them and begun the movement and it has picked up in the country. All the domestic workers be recognised, their labour and contribution is to be valued and let our attitude be as any other human person, who are created by the same creator. Let us give them human dignity and let them feel great.
Nicholas Barla
Orissa.
For two years I helped coordinate the U.S. Government's efforts to fight human trafficking and I visited 50+ NGOs working on this issue in India alone. I was so inspired and moved by the work at NDWM that I will never forget the conversation I had and things I learned in their office.
This is an important project to support.
Good luck!
Scott Beale
Founder, Atlas Corps
http://www.atlascorps.org
I am happy that Domestic Workers Movement recognised through this endevour of change agents and i am happy to get updated its progress and get involved more in whatever way possible.
I am happy that our struggle for the domestic workers recongized.
Congratulations. Together we will work for the empowerment of domestic workers.
Hello,
I really like your entry. Often times domestic workers are invisible both in the human trafficking realm, and in the protected labor realm. Because it is not sensationalized forced sex work, and because it is often happening behind closed doors in private residences, not enough attention is placed on the needs and rights of domestic workers. Thank you for your work on this area to strengthen, organize, and empower adolescent girls and women to know their rights.
It also sounds like you have a strong network of collaborators and international labor organizations, which is fabulous. I am wondering if you have, or have attempted, to partner with smaller local businesses as well as larger national and international corporations? They could be a great resource not only in funding, but in leading social messaging via tv, radio, or with products they might sell to the general public regarding the treatment and rights of domestic workers.
I will certainly continue to watch your organization's work continue to expand.
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Gender Equality and Human Trafficking Specialist
Thank you for your interest in our Movement. At present we have received many inquiries from corporations both national and international, who wish to reach out to the urban and rural poor through their corporate social responsibility programmes. Health plans and training facilities for domestic workers are in discussion.
We do agree it will go a long way in sensitizing the society at large and bring about attitudinal change in the treatment and rights of domestic workers
Sandra Vaz
Communications & Publications
National Domestic Workers' Movement