KATHMANDU, Oct 18 – Women rights activists called upon governments in the region to recognize the contribution of home-based workers in national economy Wednesday.
At a regional policy seminar on women workers in informal sector in South Asia, the activists stressed on ways to empowering home-based women workers keeping in tune with increasing globalization and adoption of ILO Convention on Home Work.
This Convention was adopted at the 83rd conference of International Labour Organization (ILO) in June 1996. Recognising home workers as other workers, the Convention entitles them to enjoy minimum standards laid down by the ILO Convention on workers which has the force of law.
The ILO Convention for Home Work asks governments to frame and implement a national policy on home work to improve the situation of home workers.
“While women work long hours, their contribution remains invisible and many of them are considered to be not working at all,” said Chandni Joshi, regional programme director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), one of the sponsors of the seminar.
“The goods (the women workers) produce are varied and found everywhere,” observed Ela Ben Bhatt, founder of SEWA, a women’s organisation in India, adding “but little attention is given to them”.
Bhatt hoped that the regional meeting would suggest a draft framework for the national policy on home workers. Speaking at the occasion, Nihal Rodrigo, Secretary-General of SAARC called for giving some degree of formality to this informal sector and recognition of these women workers to national life.
“Security of the persons employed in the informal sector should be ensured,” added Rodrigo. He also pointed that these workers lack negotiating strength and means to effectively project its concern.
Ram Krishna Tamrakar, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies admitted that working conditions and facilities for these women “are not satisfactory”.
“The informal sector is the most vulnerable sector where workers are deprived of basic rights,” noted Tamrakar. Tamrakar said that his Ministry, alongwith Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, was working for gender empowerment and equality programmes.
Surendra Hamal, Minister of State for Labour and Transport Management cautioned that since there was high demand for home-based women workers, “newly opened village tourism is sure to be built on the back of these workers”.
The three-day seminar, co-sponsored by Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, International Development Research Council, Canada and WIEGO, was attended by delegates from participating countries Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and a host of other international delegates.