As ILO convention turns 30, India’s home-based workers demand equal rights
Summary
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted Convention 177 in 1996 to give home-based workers equal rights as regular employees. However, after 30 years, many home-based workers, especially in India and other parts of Asia, still face low pay, poor working conditions, and lack social protections.Key Facts
- Home-based workers are people who produce goods or services at or near their homes.
- There are about 260 million home-based workers worldwide, and 57% of them are women.
- The ILO’s Convention 177 was created to ensure home-based workers get equal rights and fair treatment.
- Convention 177 came into effect in April 2000 but has been ratified by only 13 countries, with none from South Asia.
- Asia and the Asia-Pacific regions have the largest number of home-based workers and are major hubs for fashion and manufacturing.
- In India, home-based workers often earn very low wages and lack social security or paid leave.
- Labour rights activists say home-based workers remain mostly invisible to policymakers despite the Convention.
- The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India has been advocating for home-based workers’ rights since the time of the Convention’s adoption.
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