Dalit leaders ban their women working as domestic helps in Agra
Vijay Upadhyay | Agra
The residents of Kamlanagar and nearby posh colonies of Agra are undergoing a weird experience these days. No matter how much they offer, housewives living in these colonies are unable to find a kaamwali bai (domestic help), thanks to a social reform movement initiated by Dalit leaders prohibiting women in their community from working as domestic helps in residential colonies.
According to Dalit leader Kartar Singh Bhartiya, it was often found that young girls and women, who went out to work as domestic helps in colonies, faced social and sexual harassment. While these women staked their honour to bring food for their kids, male members in their families whiled away their time with most of them becoming alcoholics. Most of the time, they beat up their women leading to serious domestic and social problems.
As a way out, the Jatav community leaders of Nagla Thipuri area of the town have asked Dalit families not to send their women to work as domestic helps. Only those women who are widows or abandoned by their husbands may continue to work in houses to earn their daily living.
In rest of families, only male members will be allowed to work outside, while women may earn money by stitching, weaving baskets, making shoes etc. at home. A number of NGOs have also come forward to help these women develop skills, said B Hartiya.
He said that to eliminate evils like domestic violence and rampant practice of abandoning wives in the community, the Dalit panchayat has decided to impose a fine of Rs 500 on the man who beats up his wife, while gambling and betting will attract a fine of Rs 1,100.
This movement, which began with just one Dalit settlement, is slowly spreading throughout the city and Kamla Nagar and Balkeshwar localities are already facing a crisis of domestic helps.
But in the rest of the city, though Dalit women are welcoming the measures taken to prevent domestic violence, they are not very keen on ban on working as domestic helps.
Gulab Devi, who has been working in a number of houses in Jagdishpura area of the town, claimed that in many families, the men were either sick or too weak to go out and work. In such cases, if women do not work, it will not be possible to sustain food and medical expenses of the family.
The residents of Kamlanagar and nearby posh colonies of Agra are undergoing a weird experience these days. No matter how much they offer, housewives living in these colonies are unable to find a kaamwali bai (domestic help), thanks to a social reform movement initiated by Dalit leaders prohibiting women in their community from working as domestic helps in residential colonies.
According to Dalit leader Kartar Singh Bhartiya, it was often found that young girls and women, who went out to work as domestic helps in colonies, faced social and sexual harassment. While these women staked their honour to bring food for their kids, male members in their families whiled away their time with most of them becoming alcoholics. Most of the time, they beat up their women leading to serious domestic and social problems.
As a way out, the Jatav community leaders of Nagla Thipuri area of the town have asked Dalit families not to send their women to work as domestic helps. Only those women who are widows or abandoned by their husbands may continue to work in houses to earn their daily living.
In rest of families, only male members will be allowed to work outside, while women may earn money by stitching, weaving baskets, making shoes etc. at home. A number of NGOs have also come forward to help these women develop skills, said B Hartiya.
He said that to eliminate evils like domestic violence and rampant practice of abandoning wives in the community, the Dalit panchayat has decided to impose a fine of Rs 500 on the man who beats up his wife, while gambling and betting will attract a fine of Rs 1,100.
This movement, which began with just one Dalit settlement, is slowly spreading throughout the city and Kamla Nagar and Balkeshwar localities are already facing a crisis of domestic helps.
But in the rest of the city, though Dalit women are welcoming the measures taken to prevent domestic violence, they are not very keen on ban on working as domestic helps.
Gulab Devi, who has been working in a number of houses in Jagdishpura area of the town, claimed that in many families, the men were either sick or too weak to go out and work. In such cases, if women do not work, it will not be possible to sustain food and medical expenses of the family.
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