NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee will launch an outreach programme on a pilot basis for women domestic workers at Yamuna Vihar on Sunday.
Through ‘Meri Mita’ (my friend), the outreach programme, the party plans to make an impact on various urban class households who hire domestic workers. After two weeks, based on the feedback from the ground, the party plans to hold a mega show of workers where both the employers and the workers will be sensitised and informed about various facts.
“Domestic workers are one of the major sections in the unauthorised workers, but they are not recognised. They need recognition and our full support,” said Mukherjee, who is the president of the party’s women wing.
At the same time, the Delhi Congress also plans to make inroads for reaching out to the slum dwellers and jhuggi-jhopri residents, who have turned their backs on the party after emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party.
In 2016, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had moved a Private Member Bill in Parliament regarding the welfare, protection and security of domestic workers. Courtesy the ‘Meri Mita’ programme, the Congress plans to address various issues such as unpaid wages, starvation, inhumane work hours and verbal, physical and sexual abuse which they face almost on a daily basis.
“Dignity and appreciation is very important for any worker, and so is the case for domestic workers,” the Congress Mahila Morcha president asserted.
According to some studies, there has been a 120% increase in domestic workers in the decade post liberalisation. From 7.4 lakh in 1991, it swelled to 16.6 lakh in 2001.
As per the data provided by the Delhi Labour Organisation, there are over five crore domestic workers in India, most of whom are women.
Often, there are reports of underpay and even abuse of servants. Last year, a housing society in Noida saw a mob attack its owners after a maid was allegedly held captive.