India’s capital, Delhi, is home to many domestic workers from across the country. Domestic work refers to housework such as sweeping, cleaning utensils, washing clothes, cooking, caring for children and other similar tasks which are carried out for an employer.
These workers, many of whom are women, face hazardous working conditions and low incomes. Their wages are, on average, only a third of those in other sectors. They have very limited social protections and commonly suffer exploitation, abuse and slavery.
So-called “placement agencies” lure workers from the rural areas to the city, promising them a lucrative salary, a better lifestyle and benefits. A significant number of domestic workers migrate from rural states like Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. The most vulnerable come from lower caste or ethnic minority communities.
On October 20, 2021, JVI partnered with EFICOR to provide a training program for 70 domestic workers to educate them on human trafficking and labor laws. The training was sponsored by the U.S. State Department, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Case studies of human trafficking were shared in the context of domestic servitude. Upon completion of the training, the participants were encouraged to report incidents of exploitation to a hotline set up for that purpose.
