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Policy Conference on Home Based Workers in South Asia

On January 18-20. 2007, a high-level policy conference was held in New Delhi, India. Entitled “Women, Work and Poverty: Policy Conference on Home Based Workers of South Asia,” the conference was organized by UNIFEM and SEWA (the Self Employed Women’s Association).

The purpose was to bring together delegates from the five South Asian country HomeNets (all part of HomeNet South Asia, the sister organization of HomeNet South East Asia); ministers from the governments of the five countries; members of civil society and private sector organizations; and representatives from HomeNet South East Asia as well as international agencies such as the ILO, Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing) to discuss policy initiatives that will benefit homebased workers in the region. Over 200 homebased workers who are members of HomeNet South Asia attended the conference on the first day, and an incense stick worker from India and a weaver from Nepal gave accounts of their experiences as homebased workers.

The conference addressed the key issue of how to design and implement national and international policies and programs that will help lift homebased workers out of poverty in an effective and sustainable way (addressing fair trade, social protection, and other fundamental concerns of homebased workers). The conference resulted in proposals for national policies for homebased workers in all five countries and in a general strategic action plan that will be pursued on the regional (South Asia-wide) level.

The conference was organized into the following sessions: an Inaugural Session; a general overview of the progress and current state of homebased workers in the five countries (“From Kathmandu to Delhi: Setting the Stage”); Increasing Employment Through Trade; Protection for the Home Based Workers; Social Security for the Home Based Workers; Voices of Women in South Asia: Building Regional Networks; the drafting and presentation of a National Policy for Home Based Workers for each of the five countries and an overall Regional Strategic Action Plan for the Home Based Workers; and a Valedictory Session, which included the formal launching of HomeNet South Asia.

The conference opened with an address from the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Man Mohan Singh (excerpts from his speech are given below). Ms. Renana Jhabvala, President of HomeNet South Asia, gave the welcome speech, and Ms. Jaitun Sheikh of India and Ms. Padma Kumari Gurung of Nepal provided presentations on the problems and hopes of home based workers, based on their own experiences. Ms. Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women’s Association, provided a talk that emphasized the need for social protection for homebased workers in view of new social security bills being discussed, particularly in India. Following the Prime Minister’s speech, Ms. Chandni Joshi, Regional Program Director, UNIFEM South Asia Office, gave a vote of thanks, and concluded by summing up the Inaugural Session.

Over the following days a number of critical issues were discussed. In addition to presentations made by high-level ministers and other representatives of the governments of each country, delegates from private sector, academic, civil society and international organizations contributed their perspectives on initiatives that are most likely to be able to benefit homebased workers. In addition, the media was very well represented, not least because the conference was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India.
Excerpts from the Prime Minister of India’s Speech: “Charting Out a Road Map”
Dr. Man Mohan Singh noted the current invisibility of home based workers and said that the government would endeavour to take forward the National Policy for home based workers in India, as well as promote their issues at the regional level. In his address the Prime Minister stated, “I compliment UNIFEM and SEWA for taking this initiative to bring together representatives of the civil society of our South Asia to discuss issues of great contemporary significance…I have always been inspired by the work of Elaben and SEWA in empowering women and other disadvantaged sections by giving them new hope…I do believe that women’s empowerment should be a major objective of our social, political and economic policy in South Asia region as a whole. Most home based workers happen to be women. The women of South Asia have waited for long to secure equality in all senses of that term. They can and they should wait no longer. It should be our solemn and common resolve in South Asia to ensure gender equity and equality.
We would like to continue the collection of appropriate statistics (on home based workers) and in fact expand it to find out more about their work, their earnings, their skill levels and what more needs to be done to enable them to lead a life of dignity and self respect.
Our main challenge is that of increasing the skills, productivity and earnings of these workers. ….
Many (home based workers) have successfully made the transition from traditional techniques to modern ones. This needs to be encouraged and spread over other sectors where women home based workers are employed in large numbers.
I assure you that our Government will listen to your needs and extend recognition to the newly created network of home based workers.
I understand that your Conference intends to propose country specific policies for home based workers, within the framework suggested by the ILO Convention. We are examining various possibilities and I greatly welcome any suggestions that may emanate from your Conference. I look forward to receiving those recommendations.
Our Government will be happy to take forward the National Policy for India as well as to facilitate the programme for countries of South Asia.”
Dr Man Mohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

The conference concluded with the formal launching of HomeNet South Asia. As noted by Ms. Chandni Joshi of UNIFEM, HomeNet South Asia was formed in 2000 by the combined efforts of SEWA and UNIFEM, and is now a vibrant network of 600 organizations representing over 300,000 home based workers from the five countries. “Having evolved as the collective voice of HBWs, it carries their voices to the highest levels, to influence legislation, policies and programmes. A dream ten years ago - it is a reality today. This transformation is the result of the collective and dedicated work of diverse partners, specially the HomeNets of five countries.”

(In a later issue of HomeNet South East Asia’s News Magazine, more will be said about the conference and the main findings, national policies, and strategic action plan that came out of the three-day sessions.)