CUTS Hails Ban on Hiring Children as Domestic Workers

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS-CART) in a press release, welcomed the Government of India’ s decision to ban, engaging children as child domestic workers. The Government, in a notification, has banned employment of children as domestic servants or workers, and as helpers in dhabas, restaurants, hotels, motels, teashops, resorts, spas and other recreational centres. The ban, effective from October 10 this year, has been imposed under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. Government servants have already been prohibited from employing children as domestic servants.

As part of a national campaign in partnership with Save the Children (UK), CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS-CART) has been spear heading a campaign in Rajasthan, for the last one year, under a project titled ‘Hum Bhi Bacheche Hai’ (We too are Children) for the cause of the child domestic workers involving 35 schools in Jaipur city and NGOs working on child rights. One of the key points for advocacy, as part of the campaign, was the demand for ban on engaging children as child domestic workers.

“This is a big achievement for the campaign and boost for all those who are working for the cause of the children”, said George Cheriyan, Associate Director, CUTS and Dharmendra Chaturvedi, Coordinator of the campaign. “The central & state Governments should take all measures for the strict implementation of this ban,” they further said.

CUTS-CART was advocating with the state departments of Women & Child Development, Education, Social Welfare and the Labour demanding this ban. The Central Labour Ministry, which issued the notification giving the mandatory three-month notice, has warned that violators are liable to prosecution and other penal action under the Act.