IMPHAL, April 21: A two-day validation workshop on indigenous women and domestic work: an International Labour Organisation Country Based Research Initiative was inaugurated today at the Manipur University VC Court Hall.
The programme is being organised by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP), Manipur University.
Manipur University vice chancellor professor H Nandakumar Sarma attended the inaugural function as chief guest, CSSEIP coordinator professor E Bijoy Kumar Singh as president and specialist-International Labour Standards, ILO DWT for South Asia, New Delhi Coen Kompier as guest of honour.
During the day’s technical session, ILO consultants Souparna Lahiri spoke on the topic “Indigenous women and domestic work: transition from Assam tea garden to domestic work sector” while Atina Pamei spoke on “Indigenous women and domestic work: domestic workers from Manipur”.
Making a power point presentation, Pamei said that the number of domestic workers have been increased in the State.
She observed that the main cause of increasing domestic workers may be the volatile law and order situation, poverty and social exclusion.
Atina further stressed that though there is no legal protection in the country for the domestic workers, many young people from the State have been migrating to other metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai etc for domestic works.
Such domestic workers did not get themselves registered, while about 1500 State domestic workers have been registered in last year alone, she claimed.
Representatives from Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya and other northeastern States also participated in the programme.