Collecting information on live-in domestic workers is difficult in Nagaland since they are typically portrayed as distant relatives who are helping the household. And one of the major challenges to influencing state government policy in favor of domestic workers is the lack of statistics.
Furthermore, child labor is frequently brought up in talks about domestic workers in Nagaland. In Naga culture, it is common practice to relocate children from struggling families to urban areas where they will work as “domestic assistance” in return for the opportunity for a better life or better education. But in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of adult female domestic workers in the major cities of Dimapur, Kohima, and Mokokchung.
According to a survey conducted by All Nagaland Domestic Workers Union (ANDWU), as reported in WIEGO Policy Brief No 27 October 2021, the majority of these workers, particularly in Dimapur, are migrants from Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. Due to the stigma associated with domestic employment in Naga society, Naga women who work as domestic help are cautious to identify as such.
Nearly 40% of the employees interviewed were women in their 30s, and 47% were between the ages of 40 and 70, according to the survey, which also showed that almost 60% of the workers were born outside of Nagaland, with Assam having the highest representation.
Additionally, it was noted that while 56% of workers had at least a primary education, 41% had no formal education. The majority of employees were married and cohabitating with their partners, and 15% identified as widows.
The issue
By granting Nagaland a Special Status under Article 371(A), the Indian laws that conflict with the customs of the Naga tribal community are weakened. Therefore, in such a complicated multi-ethnic, socio-political environment, it becomes very challenging to implement central laws or programs.
Due to Nagaland’s unique constitutional situation, it should contribute 10% to all central programs, with the remaining 90% coming from the central government. However, the weak economy makes it difficult for the state to provide even this 10% of the total.
Due to underfunding, the majority of central plans and programs continue to have minimal coverage. Since domestic employees are still not included in the schedule of employment, policy advancement is hampered and there is no specified minimum salary. Moreover, society in general does not regard them as real workers, which makes the push for more policy change even more challenging.
This leaves domestic workers unprotected as workers, with many work related risks, including: low remuneration, lack of paid leave, Stigma and discrimination, Occupational safety and health, Sexual harassment and poor access to Social Protection and Social Services Health care.
Therefore, to ensure that the rights of domestic workers to social protection are realized in Nagaland, following recommendations were put forwards by the ANDWU:
Improve domestic worker statistics:
Policy reform in Nagaland is hampered by the absence of systematic and accurate data on domestic workers. As a result, gathering data on this category of employees ought to be a top priority and it must adhere to the ILO’s established definitions . Additionally, data on domestic worker emigration from the state should be included.
Inclusion in the employment schedule:
This would be a first step in recognizing domestic work as legitimate employment, and it would serve as the foundation for a minimum pay and other job-related benefits, such as social security. A policy that expressly addresses the predicament and requirements of migrant domestic workers in the state should go along with this.
Establishment of a separate welfare board for domestic workers: Such a board has not yet been constituted in Nagaland, and this would be an important step to ensuring better access to social protection.
Open up cross-sectoral spaces for dialogue:
A cross-sectoral dialogue space between the government and domestic workers (as well as other unorganized sector workers) would assist in establishing and strengthening these relationships, potentially improving the implementation of social protection provisions.
Provide skills training to domestic workers:
The COVID-19 problem has resulted in many domestic workers in Nagaland, as well as many other states in India, losing their jobs. In this situation, the state government ought to focus on providing this group with skill development opportunities that could result in reemployment in other industries.