Radha (name changed to protect identity), a former survivor of trafficking and victim of bonded labour launching the campaign

16 June 2011: International Labour Organization (ILO), Convention supplemented by a Recommendation on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, has been adopted on the 16th June' 2011. The need to improve domestic workers' living and working conditions across the world is being felt for decades and this marks the beginning of such improvements through legislations and policies.

On this very important issue and burning problem with large scale national and international ramifications, especially on trafficking and forced labour, Bachpan Bacaho Andolan (BBA) has launched a nation wide campaign across India, on 12th June '2011, the World Day Against Child Labour Day,  across 300 villages in 9 states.

In Delhi, 225 Resident Welfare Associations came together in various colonies to pledge their support to the campaign in several programmes organized throughout the city. The campaign is spearheaded specially in the rural areas. In this campaign, the Members of parliament, judiciary, administration and police services have joined the campaign by pasting the stickers in their homes.

The campaign was kicked of by Radha (name changed to protect identity), a former survivor of trafficking and bonded labour. Radha was trafficked from Jharkhand, at the age of 12 years and was sent to Punjab to work as a domestic help. on the contrary she was not just made a domestic worker but was forced into sexual slavery as she was being raped repeatedly by the male members of the family. When she started protesting vocally and threatened to inform the police they sent her back to the placement agency ( agencies supplying domestic helps) but her ordeal did not end. The owner of the placement agency took her to another place where she was again raped and got pregnant. When her trafficker  found out, they forced the medical termination of her pregnancy and threw her out into the streets. The trauma, feeling of humiliation continued till the time the accused was arrested (after BBA's intervention).

Shri. R.S. Chaurasia, BBA, Chairperson  said, “ BBA has launched the campaign on 12th June'11, to bring to light this hidden form of invisible slavery. We also demand India to be the first country to ratify International Labour Organization (ILO), Convention supplemented by a Recommendation on decent work for domestic workers”.

Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson, Global March Against Child Labour and Founder of BBA said, “Adoption of this convention is a recognition of the inhumane conditions many of the domestic workers go through and justice for them is inevitable. It is good that this has been bought under the ambit of labour standards. Speedy ratification of this convention, will provide domestic workers recognition as human beings.”

225 RWAs come together against domestic child labour in the capital: Nationwide campaign launched

12th June,. 2011, New Delhi:- On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, Bachpan Bachao Andolan has launched a national campaign against domestic child labour across 300 villages in 9 states. Today 225 Resident Welfare Associations came together in the capital in various colonies to pledge their support to the campaign in several programmes organized throughout the city. The campaign is spearheaded specially in the rural areas.

Letters have been sent to various officials of the central government including the National Human Rightr Commission. The National Commision for Protection of Child Rights, Nationa Legal Services Authority etc. At the state level, letters were sent to the Chief secretaies, Distict Judges, District Magistrates, Superintendent of Police, Labour Commissioners, etc.

In Delhi, also letters regarding the campaign were sent o the DC, ACP, SHO, SDM, judges of the Delhi High court and other officials.

In Nazafgarh, more than 120 Residents Welfare Associations from the area have pledged their support to the campaign and end child labour in their colonies .

In Malviya Nagar, one of the place where the campaign was launched, 2 girls aged 12-14 were found working at a home in the area. The members of BBA took notice of these children and spoke to the owner and asked her not to employ the children. She immediately removed them from work and sent them away to continue their education.

In Jaipur, where more than 500 people took part and pledged against child labour where the campaign is being launched across Rajasthan.

Kailash Satyarthi, founder, BBA said, “ This campaign is being launched against the invisible slavery, which is another form of child labour. Child specially girls are physically and sexually abused. Illegal placement agencies have mushroomed in the country in all metro politan cities, towns and they have become a conduit for child trafficking and forced labour”.

The campaign was launched by former child labourers who have now become spokespersons and activists against the menace.

Background

India is home to highest number of child labourers. Though Census figures states 12.6 million child labourers, NGOs claims 60 million child labourers. Of them, several are engaged in hazardous labour. Although the Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act, 2009, to children between the age of 6 to 14 and prohibits employment of children younger than 14 in any hazardous environment, child labour is present in almost all sectors of the Indian economy. They work in several unorganized sectors like zari, hotel, dhabas and homes besides, factories like brass industry, fire factory, lock making etc

Several thousands of children are engaged in child domestic labour which is an invisible form of child labour.  Children in domestic work are not only losing on their precious childhood but also on their right to education. The child labourers endure miserable and difficult lives.

Child domestic labour (CDL) is culturally accepted and widely prevalent in India. The classification of child domestic labour applies to children who are engaged to perform domestic tasks in the home setting. Children wash clothes, sweep and clean the homes, cook food, take care of younger children etc.  According to UNICEF, 20- 40% of child labour is domestic work. According to another study by Save the Children, there are an estimated 100,000 children working as domestic labourers in Delhi, which is twice the number in other cities like Hyderabad and Kolkata. This is a matter of concern and needs urgent remedying.

Much activity has been in progress with regards to domestic labour at both International and National levels. This June 2011, the International Conference of ILO discussed the proposed convention on decent work for domestic workers which advocates the effective abolition of child labour, sets a minimum age for the domestic labourers, talks about written contracts, type of work, weekly off. It also clearly talks about the monitoring mechanism for the placement agencies. Placement agencies are those which provide the service of procuring domestic workers to household in urban areas.

At the National level too, the domestic workers bill has been pending in the Parliament since 2008. This Bill seeks social security and protection measures including minimum wages for the domestic workers, decent work, and decent life along with weekly offs etc. However, it has not been passed yet. But the existing law on child domestic labour is been flouted as domestic labour is banned in India. With the coming of the Right To Education Act, 2009 children in domestic work is flouting in 2 laws i.e Child Labour Act and Right To Education  Act, 2009.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has been working on child domestic labour since 1996 through various campaigns all over the country. BBA took up the issue of child domestic labour in the year 1996 when Ashraf, a 9 year old domestic labourer was branded by iron rod by his employer for drinking the leftover milk of his son. Ashraf was rescued by BBA from this Government employees home. BBA took this issue to the National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC) which directed the Delhi Government to pass a service order for blanket ban on child domestic labour. The movement to ban child domestic labour gained momentum across the country and ultimately in 2006 the Government declared child domestic labour as a hazardous occupation under the Child Labour Act. This came into effect on October 10, 2006.

On the occasion of this law coming into effect on October 2006, BBA conducted a month long campaign called “From Work to School”. During this campaign, BBA sensitized the Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) on child labour. A sticker campaign was also conducted for positive discrimination of households that do not employ child labour with pasting of stickers named “ My home is child labour free”. In addition to reach out to larger section of population, BBA also had a tie up with PVR Cinemas, in which an ad on child domestic labour was shown in the theater screens for 3 months.

This year on the 12th of June, 2011, commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour, BBA will undertake campaign in both rural areas and urban areas with a dual strategy. The focus in urban areas will be to sensitize the localities and their respective Associations to partner in removal of child domestic labour from their neighborhood. In Delhi, there are 5700 Resident Welfare Association (RWAs). BBA believes that when RWAs are organized for the social cause, they will be the best resource to sensitise people about the law banning child domestic labour and to ensure that their neighbourhood is domestic child labour free. Therefore the campaign in Delhi will be focused on the RWAs. In other cities too, the campaign will be carried out through similar such associations. In the rural areas, BBA will reach out to 240 villages across states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, M.P, Punjab and Jharkhand with a plea to the parents to not send their children to work as domestic labourers in cities and urban areas. As in most cases, children from rural areas are brought to the cities to work as child labourers.

Proposed Activities

In urban areas, with the RWAs and others similar associations in other towns, the activities are as follows:

• Members of the associations will be sensitised about the law on child domestic labour
• Within their monthly updates, they will release a notice to their residents about the campaign and appeal to them to not employ child labourers.
• Prepare a list of homes within the association that employ child labour
• Appeal to them to remove child labour from their homes
• Conduct a sticker campaign in select associations with celebrities to positively discriminate homes that don’t have child labour by sticking “My home is child labour free” sticker.
• Declare the associations as being child domestic labour free. This will be monitored by the office bearers of the associations.

In rural areas, the activities are as follows:

• Conduct a rally in the areas to make people aware of the hazards of child labour
• To enlist the support of the Panchayat members in identifying households that have children engaged in labour situations 
• Take the support of Panchayat members and other influential people to release children from work
• Conduct a sticker campaign in select associations with celebrities to positively discriminate homes that don’t have child labour by sticking “My home is child labour free” sticker. (stickers will be in the local language) (target of 40,000 households). The campaign will be led by children in the villages.
• Declare the village as being child labour free

Other awareness and advocacy activities in urban and rural areas are:

• Several Information Education and Communication material will be distributed to households in both urban and rural areas. (65,000 pamphlets, 40,000 stickers)
• The use of social media like Facebook and Twitter will be used to spread the message in Delhi. In Delhi and in other towns and rural areas, communication material like SMS will also be used. (300,000 mobile phone customers)
• Advocacy will also be conducted with Parliamentarians (letters to all MPs- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) 1000 members of judiciary, 1500 bureaucrats along with more than 500 civil society organisations (partner organisations of BBA), child rights related agencies in favour of child rights.
• Advocacy with political leadership and administrative officials in the cities, towns and rural areas. Letters to Chief Minsiter, Governor, MLAs, Mayors, Councillors etc. will be sent. BBA will send them an appeal along with a sticker with a request to join this campaign to make this society child labour free.

Support Letter