Supporting Domestic Workers; Strengthening Grassroot Feminism

Since January 2023, WISE has been implementing the SDSGF project with the support of Women Fund Asia, focusing on organizing and empowering women domestic workers in Punjab. The initiative operates in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, and Toba Tek Singh, working to increase awareness of labor rights, ensure implementation of the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019, and provide legal assistance to exploited workers.

Accomplishments (January 2023 to December 2024):

Organization:

• Formed 21 groups of 500 domestic workers across Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, and Lahore to build collective voice.
• Registered the Women Domestic Workers Union Punjab with the Labor Department, making it the second union of its kind in the region.
• Established the union’s office in Lahore along with a special complaint desk, serving as a central hub for coordination, leadership, and legal redress.
• Supported the organizational development of two additional unions: Parkash Domestic Workers Union (East) and Lyallpur Domestic Workers Union (West), Faisalabad.
• Conducted internal leadership capacity-building and supported union activities with regular presence of elected representatives.

Outreach:

• Mobilized 1,350 workers in 11 public walks, demonstrations, and protests, advocating for minimum wage enforcement and against child domestic labor.
• Reached over 7,000 individuals through 8 Virtual Cafés, 3 radio programs, and 1 Twitter Space, covering issues such as climate change, violence against domestic workers, and unpaid care work.
• Engaged 1,606 domestic workers in 17 seminars held on significant days such as International Labour Day, Domestic Workers Day, and International Day for the Girl Child, fostering public solidarity and awareness.

Training & Capacity Building:

• Conducted 9 multi-topic workshops involving 397 women on themes like labor rights, health, leadership, safeguarding, and literacy.
• Established 4 adult literacy centers in Lahore and Sheikhupura, empowering 46 women through one-year programs to attain basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills.
• Facilitated exposure visits and learning forums for union members, including orientation to digital safety tools and laws.

Legal Aid & Awareness:

• Held 240 awareness sessions covering key topics including legal protections, complaint mechanisms, health and safety, and safeguarding.
• Provided legal assistance to 20 women domestic workers facing issues like violence, harassment, unpaid wages, and documentation barriers.
• Published 3 key legal translations (e.g., Punjab Domestic Workers Act, ILO C189) and 8 informational materials in Urdu, including flyers and a feminist training manual.

Advocacy & Media Engagement:

• Organized 6 media forums in partnership with Daily Expressand 2 press conferences with Child Rights Movement to spotlight child labor and domestic worker rights.
• Published two major research studies: one on unpaid care work and the second on the socio-economic conditions of women domestic workers.
• Developed a booklet documenting the journey and transformations of domestic workers as part of the empowerment process.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Convened 3 district-level stakeholder consultations with 158 participants including labor departments, civil society, unions, and media.
• Led 2 exposure visits to Punjab Safe Cities Authority to familiarize women leaders with digital tools like the Women Safety App.

Legislative Achievements:

• Successfully advocated for Punjab’s Minimum Wage Notification (September 2024), securing Rs. 37,000/month as the legal wage for domestic workers.
• Drafted the Rules of Business for Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019, currently awaiting cabinet approval.
• Contributed to the proposal of amendments in PESSI regulations, aiming to include domestic workers in the social security net through simplified registration and contributions.