Karuna Domestic Workers Welfare Trust » About Us

STAND WITH DOMESTIC WORKERS FOREVER BECAUSE DIGNITY AND JUSTICE SHOULD NEVER EXPIRE

“Domestic workers are the silent strength behind every household. Their dedication, care, and hard work sustain families and communities, yet their rights and recognition are too often neglected. Our commitment is permanent: to stand with domestic workers forever, ensuring fair wages, safe workplaces, and respect that lasts a lifetime”

The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines a Domestic Worker as “someone who carries out household work, in private households, in return for wages”. ILO estimates that globally, over 17.2 million children are engaged in domestic work, and it remains the single largest employment category for girls under the age of 16.

India is home to an estimated 50 million domestic workers – a workforce which does not have any international or national standards to regulate their employment, conditions of work, wages and social security. It is a fact that 90% – 95% of domestic workers are women and the ILO also estimates that worldwide, domestic work is the largest employment category for girls under the age of 16.

The majority are women from marginalized communities, and many remain excluded from the protection of formal labor laws. Despite their indispensable role in sustaining households and enabling participation in the formal economy, there are still no comprehensive national standards governing their wages, working conditions, or social security. This absence of regulation leaves millions vulnerable to exploitation and invisibility.

In Karnataka alone, Government estimates indicate the presence of 10–12 lakh domestic workers, including housemaids, cooks, nannies, caregivers, and gardeners, who constitute the backbone of urban households.

The acceptance of domestic workers begins with recognizing their work. Yet many face ill treatment, abuse, and exploitative conditions resembling forced or bonded labor. Many women and children domestic workers reveal that they are trafficked, both within and outside the country, and exploited by the placement agencies, which operate openly without any form of government regulation

Karuna Domestic Workers Welfare Trust (KDWWT) is the registered body of the Karnataka Domestic Workers Movement (KDWM). KDWM, founded in 2002 as an extension of the National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM). It was established to work exclusively for the welfare of domestic workers and their families in Karnataka State, India.   To strengthen and formalize these efforts, KDWWT was initiated and registered as a Trust in 2006, providing the organizational and legal framework for KDWM’s activities.

Vision:  To create a just society for all domestic workers, where they are treated with dignity and justice, their rights are upheld, their contribution recognized and their voices heard. We also envision a society where child domestic work is completely abolished and children in work enjoy mainstream education and fuller childhood

Mission:  Walking with Domestic workers and their families for Dignity and Justice

Motto:  To Serve, To Love and to be dignified

Approach

  • Right and Result Based Approach
  • Cultural sensitivity and Humility
  • Preventive
  • Personal dedication and resilience

Click here to read our Objectives.

ADMINISTRATION

Sr. Nisha Mathew, the managing Trustee is of 62 years old, born in Kerala, and had her education done up to PUC in her home town and joined the Congregation of Franciscan Servants of Mary, in the year 1981 at Bangalore. Completed the bachelor’s degree in social work from Mangalore University in the year 1993 and from then on involved in the field of social and developmental activities for women and young girls in different parts of Karnataka was fortunate to study Law from the University of Bangalore and enrolled as a member of BAR Council of Karnataka in the year 2002.  She has also completed her master’s degree in social work in the year 2013 amidst her heavy schedule of work with the Movement.

From 2002 Sr. Nisha got involved with the National Domestic Workers Movement and started in Karnataka this Movement for domestic workers. It was not an easy job even though qualification in social work highlighted. Organizing the domestic workers, who are scattered in different parts of the city, scatters the mind and heart of someone who wants to try to gather them for their rights and dignity. It was also for Sr. Nisha, there were times of desperation and struggles, but the Divine assistance and supports of many lead her through these 25 years of committed work and along with the Team that is built up in Karnataka. The 25 years of work with domestic workers has resulted in the formation of their union that has almost reached to 17500 paid and 30000 unpaid members with twelve years of its registration.

In 2004, the Karnataka Labour department has included the domestic workers in the schedule of workers and notified the minimum wage for domestic work. Indeed it was a lift for our domestic workers from slavery to the status of workers. Every year it is the pleasure of our team to collaborate with LIC and enroll the domestic workers with the group insurance scheme and reaching the benefit for domestic workers and their children. In 2013-14, it benefitted for 1500 domestic workers and 228 children. Enrolling our domestic workers in to AAM ADMI BHIMA YOJANA is another interesting programme that now we are all involved with. Registering the domestic workers in to the RSBY scheme has taken lot of our strength and in some of the districts in Karnataka, is benefitted, but not yet in Bangalore.

Thus, the Movement in Karnataka has brought rights and dignity to domestic workers to some extent. Empowering the domestic workers and struggling for their rights is an ongoing process. Day by day, the struggle is challenged due to various factors, especially the growing number of domestic workers in the cities and the expansion of city of Bangalore. The financial problems of paying the proper salary to personals who reach out to domestic workers are challenged. The generation of today are searching the job that are less risked and  more paid, less struggle and more comfort, less primitive and more advanced, etc..

Jerson Cusher, the treasurer of the Trust is born in the year 1972 at Vasai, Mumbai. He did his basic education in the home town and joined the Congregation of passion in the year 1987. He chose to remain as a Passionist Religious Brother and serve the people as best as he can. It was his pleasure to serve the congregation in different apostolates and he took his Master’s Degree in social work in the year 2005 from the Barkatullha University, Bhopal. He joined the Domestic Workers Movement in the year 2006 and was part of the formation of the Trust and is the treasurer of the Trust since then. He has taken special interest in counselling the children in trauma and attended special training in Psychiatrist department of St. John’s medical College, hospital and had also an exposure programme along with a doctors and social workers of NDWM in Belgium for 15 days. He also is the Director of our Trauma Counselling Centre at Bangalore for the past 18 years. His commitment and selfless service for the Trust from the time of inception is highly appreciative. 2018 he has finished his Diploma in Leadership at CODY institution in Canada.

Sr. Preethi Joseph, the Trustee Born in 1962 in Kerala, she completed her basic education in her hometown before joining the Congregation of Franciscan Servants of Mary in Bangalore in 1979. Trained in laboratory technology, she served the institute in this profession for ten years before shifting her focus to social activities. In 2013, she completed  the Master’s Degree in Counselling in Bangalore, further strengthening her commitment to service. She continues to assist the Trust with dedication, offering her time and valuable insights generously, and her contributions are deeply appreciated for their impact and sincerity.