Supported by
Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
Project Areas and target group
The project was implemented in 6 districts; Ujjain, Dewas, Khandwa, Bhopal, Sagar and Damoh of Madhya Pradesh for the informal sector women construction workers.
About the Project
The informal sector workers constitute a substantial part of our workforce. Nearly, 94% of the workforce of our country are employed in the informal sector. They include, agriculture workers, forest workers, home based workers, construction workers and urban street vendors, and so on. Employment in the informal sector is characterized by uncertainty of work, low wages and long hours of work, and absence of any kind of social security. In short, their employment conditions are completely unregulated, which makes their employment and livelihood extremely vulnerable. The informal sector and the employment relationship are arbitrary in nature, wages and earnings are very low. Thus, it is necessary on the part of the civil society to build their capacities and facilitate the strengthening of their livelihood system.
The construction workers constitute the second largest section within the informal sector, next only to agricultural workers. According to official statistics, there are nearly 20 lakh construction workers in Madhya Pradesh. The Government of Madhya Pradesh enacted the Madhya Pradesh Building and the Other Construction Workers Welfare Board in 2004.
The Mahila Shram Sewa Nyas (MSSN) conducted an awareness campaign for the construction workers. It organized the awareness campaign to aware them about their rights, welfare schemes, and welfare board in all the 6 districts.
MSSN developed the leadership capacity of 100 women construction workers so that they can negotiate with the labour department/welfare board and can reproduce their knowledge in their own areas and with other construction workers.
The construction women workers of informal sector were also linked and facilitated with the social security schemes run by the Construction Workers Welfare Board. Also, the registration and renewal with the Board, hand hold for uplifting their socio-economic status by facilitating social security schemes.
It has been imparting skill up gradation training of mason and carpentry to the 300 women construction, so that they can also move in skilled jobs and earn more income with technical work. Many women are getting mason work after the training and are getting Rs. 100-120 per day instead of 60-70 rupees per day.
The policy advocacy with the Madhya Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board in favour of workers for implementing new policies under the Board, is imparting the skill training to women workers in the other districts as well.