Centre for Development Initiatives (CDI) in collaboration with branch office Ferrando Domestic workers Alliance (FDWA) Kohima held a round table conference with various stakeholders. The conference was held under the theme, “A step towards ensuring decent work for domestic workers” at CAN Building D-block colony, Kohima.
Speakers at the conference were member, Nagaland State Commission for Women, Kekhrienuo Meyase and legal assistant and legal consultant, District Administration Kohima, Ketoulhoutuo-ü Rame.
Meyase said that the demand for domestic workers was high at present and that the domestic workers needed to be trained and skilled in their profession in order to get decent wages.
She added that the stakeholders need to concentrate more on marching forward rather than focusing solely on the plights and problems of the domestic workers. Some of the important points she mentioned were: a need for proper legal framework and regulations, nature of work be categorised and working hours should fixed according to the work, awareness and campaigns should be held with the employers in order to improve the working condition of domestic workers. Sharing her observation, Rame said that in the society women were always made to feel inferior to man at a young age and that was the reason why women face different problems such as harassment, sexual abuse and discrimination.
She added that policies and regulations should be made separately for domestic workers because they provide direct or indirect service to families and their work has become a necessity however, they still were not getting fair treatment which they deserve.
After sharing by the speakers, a discussion hour was held where the participants suggested the way forward and an action plan was drafted and finalised.
Various stakeholders from State Hub Empowerment for women, women Helpline and DUDA attended the conference.
Program Head Centre for Development Initiatives CDI, Nirmal Singh, gave an introduction and glimpses of CDI while HR head and Central Coordinator, CDI, Bokali Kasho, moderated the round table conference.