Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC)

The Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC) is a not for profit company, registered under the aegis of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India.

About DWSSC

In India's unorganized sector, which constitutes nearly 93% of the economy, the domestic workers constitute one of the largest segments, broadly estimated between 5 to 25 million, albeit among the poorest, disorganized and often exploited. These millions of domestic help can be found in the Indian families from lower middle-class households in the villages to the most affluent ones in the metropolitan cities. Most of these domestic workers function as ‘lifelines’ to the households, render multiple types of services, as fulltime and part-time, live-in and live-out, and they are described as ‘domestic servants’. The practices associated with this occupation are undignified and completely unacceptable, partly for the reason that domestic workers have not yet acquired the status of a profession or a trade.

The purpose of DWSSC is to define key sectors wherein domestic workers can find employment and to identify critical roles and associated skill gaps. The organization is being led and managed by a highly competent team of professionals, led by multi-sectoral, Government and Non-Government representatives, Board and Governing Council. This sector is significant not only from the point of view of skilling, empowering and organizing the domestic workers, but it is also directly connected to the issues relating to migration and human trafficking, livelihood and dignified living and working conditions besides the need to services while safeguarding women and children, the rural poor and urban deprived.

Mission & Vision

Mission

Eradicating injustice and professionalizing the domestic work.

Vision

An ethical organization that respects the value and dignity of domestic work, fosters resilience and equality while empowering the domestic workers by being inclusive and promoting diversity.

Objectives

• To establish a national institutional network for skill development of domestic workers in India.
• To facilitate linkages among various stakeholders in the sector for improved service delivery for the clients and improved reward package for the workers.
• To develop a Labor Market Information System (LMIS) that contains information on the profile of domestic workers in India, the market demand and the list of organizations working in the sector.
• To define job roles and set occupation standards, career progression maps and functional maps for all job roles in the domestic workers’ sector.
• To create skill aspiration and skill appreciation in the sector through well-defined career progression tracks and awareness campaigns for employers and workers.
• To standardize processes of accreditation, assessment and certification of domestic workers through the national network of placement agencies.
• To build institutional capacities and promote institutions servicing the sector to deliver skills training and recognition services for domestic workers.
• To contribute to the creation of a favorable environment for domestic workers.

Source: Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC)