Nagaland: SEWA Demands Urgent Protections for Home-Based Workers

KOHIMA: The International Home-Based Workers Day was observed by Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Nagaland on Tuesday at Kohima.

The rally and discussion, with an objective of reiterating the valuable nature of home-based workers in the informal economy and pressuring for recognition and protection, stated a release.

It was asserted that "while home-based workers contribute to sectors like textiles and handicrafts, for which the country is known, they are rarely on radar; their work does not attract social protection, reasonable wages, or basic rights at work".

The rally passed through Kohima city from BOC Junction to Phoolbari Junction and ended with a discussion at the APO Hall in Kohima. In this dialogue, informal women workers met with government officials and NGOs and spoke for better working conditions and more labor protection.

A major agenda point was inclusion in national labor laws-according to the ILO Convention C177, adopted 1996.

SEWA Nagaland urged the Indian government to ratify this convention so that home-based workers will be given equal rights and protections as offered to regular wage earners. It also presented results of a survey conducted about home-based workers.

Home-based workers and their institution SEWA was appreciated by the guest of honor, Avile Vitso, Joint Labour Commissioner of Nagaland. She said that society is advancing because of working women like those at SEWA. She emphasized skill development, self-reliance, and the support system to maintain family well-being.

She further appealed to workers to register on the eShram portal through which the workers would receive government schemes and benefits to which she said even migrant workers would be entitled to. She also shared the readiness of the government in helping women workers through different initiatives.

The keynote address was given by Vivoto, counselor at Young Minds NE, who discussed family communication and conflict resolution.

In speaking about mental health from a female's perspective, he felt it was time to remind the world of the need for self-care for mothers and especially in light of both personal and family well-being. He spoke of efforts and advice on how to manage one's time and money, how to divide work and personal life and when to seek professional help.

The event concluded by calling for the inclusion of home-based workers in national labor statistics and policies that would guarantee them their rightful place in the formal economy.

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