Chitra N. of GRFDT participates in a seminar on Migrant Domestic Workers
Published Date: Sunday, Jul 20, 2014
Dr. Chitra N., member of GRFDT is invited to participate in a Regional Level Seminar on “The Study on the Problems and Issues Faced by Migrant Domestic Workers Overseas”. The Seminar is organized by Migrant Domestic workers Welfare Trust – Tamil Nadu in collaboration with the National Commission on Women, takes place at Asha Nivas, Rutland Gate, Nungambakkam, Chennai on 21 August 2014. Dr. Chitra N will be presenting a paper titled “Current Trends and Policy Initiatives for the Overseas Domestic Workers- Gulf countries, India and International Organisations”.
The day-long seminar will address the issues of feminization of migration pattern and other related issues such as domestic workers, racial discrimination etc. Women migrant domestic workers now compromise 49.6% of the 190 million overseas workers from South Asia. Despite the increase of migration of female domestic workers, migration policies of both origin and destination countries do not yet recognize migrant domestic workers as employees. Further, these domestic workers earn the lowest salary of any foreign workers while receiving the weakest coverage by labour laws. They are therefore put in the most precarious position, as they are restricted to the home and are isolated from assistance and redress mechanisms.
The main focus of the seminar will be on Indian overseas migrant domestic workers who face wide range of challenges including human right abuses in the work place, extremely long hours of work without overtime pay; no rest days; incomplete and irregular payment of wages; psychological, physical, and sexual abuse; poor living conditions; restrictions on their freedom of movement and ability to practice their religion; and in some cases, trafficking into situations of forced labour and even death while trying to escape.