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