Legal Approach of Female Domestic Workers in India: Issues and Challenges

सार

Female domestic workers constitute a neglected group in the unorganized sector of India. They
have faced exploitation for decades. In recent years, only Non-Governmental Organizations have
expressed concern about their well-being. This paper looks at the challenges and emerging issues
associated with the female domestic workers of India. They are very vulnerable in terms of human
rights, in particular their living and working conditions. There are lots of problems faced by female
domestic workers at workplace, which includes- low wages, excess work burden, no extra pay for extra
work, no holidays or leaves, sexual harassment by male employer etc. Over the decades, though demand
for these female domestic workers has increased but their issues and problems are still same. There is
not much improvement in their working and living conditions.
This paper aims to examine the living conditions of female domestic workers and their life in India.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 67 million domestic workers
worldwide remain excluded from the protection that covers other workers. As recorded in 2004–2005,
India was home to 3.05 million urban domestic workers, comprising mostly of women. A large portion
of the Indian population is working in this “informal sector”, as defined by the government. At present,
there is hardly any law, which protects their rights.