Methodology: Case Studies
Language: Marathi
Catalysts: Pallavi Shinde
Youth Fellows:
Savita Mhatre
Kavita Mhatre
Varsha Talekar
Pankajakshi Jadhav
Rohini Lakudzode
Sunita Deshmukh
Pooja Aasekar
Sunchita Surve
Coordinator:
Anita Patil-Deshmukh
About the Subject:
This group of young women friends, some of whom were actually working in the small scale industry and were suffering from certain problems at work place themselves, were keen to find out, on a large scale basis, what were the working conditions of women in this industry. They decided to survey and interview women workers, starting with themselves. The questions they prepared were mostly based upon their living experiences. After refining it a few times they stepped out and encountered many difficulties which they had not anticipated.
Challenges & Learnings:
The first difficulty these dynamic women ran into was the fact that most women workers were reluctant to talk about their working conditions, whether it was related to accessibility of a toilet in the work place, physical safety during the procedure of work, overtime compensation or sexual harassment. The PUKAR Team had to establish a strong bond of friendship and went through a long trust-building exercise with these women before they could cull this information out of these reluctant speakers.
Many of them were totally unaware of their rights as workers. For example, they did not know that they were legally supposed to receive an overtime pay and not just tea and snacks, which was a substitute for money. Their reluctance to share the truth was located in their sense of insecurity about losing the job if the employer would find out about their complaints. The second pressure they faced was from home where they were expected to bring a certain income home irrespective of their working conditions. During these interview processes for which it was difficult to find appropriate time and conducive place, they did become aware of the fact that most of them did not have any right on the money they earned. With extensive advocacy done by the research Team, some women learnt to
express their opinions courageously while others willingly accepted the current position.
Conclusion:
Most of the women working in small scale industries were not aware of their work rights. On one hand they were exploited by the employer as far as wages, overtime and physical comforts were concerned, on the other hand they were unable to leave the job due to mounting pressures from family to bring some money home. They also found out that they had no rights over the money they earned.
End Product:
To disseminate the information about women workers’ rights to the public, this group decided to produce bookmarks which depicted some of the conclusions which were reached through the process. It was a very popular end product.
Click here to download this research project report.
