'Domestic workers are also human, not dogs'

30 November, 2012

Shivaniji, an active women rights activist of Bihar, on the occasion of the recent one-day protest and rally, demanded social security schemes for domestic, migrants and unorganized workers at the Kargil Chouk, near Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

“IT'S A matter of shame that despite 65 years of India’s freedom poor women and kids are treated as animals and bonded laborers. Employers are often gives them stale foods or leftover of foods (which are not suitable for even dogs) in a tin or aluminum plates or bowls and dirty water. They are also physically, mentally, economically and sexually exploited by their employers. There is no holiday for the helpless pregnant workers. They have also rights to live in this world. Domestic workers and laborers are also human. They are not bonded laborers or dogs. We should not behave like animals with them,” said Shivaniji.

“Domestic workers are essential part of our society. It’s a myth that poor people pollutes our society. They keeps our environment clean. It’s a matter of pride that our long struggle has removed the word “servants and maid servants” from the Bihar Gazette. We will continue our movement for the Protection of Domestic Workers Rights in the society,” said Chandra Prakash Jee, INTUC leader in this program.

This program was co-organized by National Domestic Workers’ Union, Bihar Domestic Workers’ Welfare Trust and Domestic Workers’ Congress (INTUC), Patna. It’s main motive was to aware women and child workers and laborers of Bihar about their rights. There were about 300 participant’s in this program from different districts of Bihar such as Patna, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Mujaffarpur, and Ara. Maximum participants were poor illiterate, untrained, unorganized, and dalits. In our country there are about 78% women domestic workers. Dozen social workers trained the participants to unite for the protection of their constitutional rights in the program.

Their some main demands from the Government were :

1.   On the basis of Bihar Domestic Workers Minimum Wage Act -1948 their wages must be published and ordered.
2.   Domestic workers must be listed in the BPL list.
3.   Government of Bihar should establish Welfare Board for the protection of their rights.