Domestic Violence Bill fails domestic workers

The Deputy Minister for Youth, Manpower and Employment, Madam Frema Osei Opare says it is unfortunate that the Domestic Violence Bill has been reduced to just an issue of “marital rape”. Expressing worry over the issue she said marital rape is only a minute bit of the entire bill and said there are so many important issues including the rights of domestic workers. Domestic workers / assistants could include house girls and boys, maidservants, watchmen and sometimes drivers. “Those of us advocates we erred and those who are receiving it also erred. We need to educate the public about the fact that the DV bill is not only about marital rape but how we handle domestic workers as well.” Madam Opare was speaking at the launch of “Messages from and on Domestic Workers”, a LAWA – Ghana advocacy on the rights of domestic workers in Accra. She was concerned about the fact that majority of the problems faced by domestic workers are caused by women. The deputy minister noted that due to lack of appreciation these workers are put under stress and its consequences. She called for intensive public education on the rights of domestic workers and urged queen mothers and other opinion leaders to engage the womenfolk in the campaign. “Proper agreements must be arrived at between both families before a domestic worker is engaged.” LAWA-Ghana Alumnae Incorporated, is a non-governmental organization comprising a group of women lawyers who continue to undertake certain legislative advocacy projects to promote women’s economic and social rights in Ghana. Its past work included undertaking a fact finding mission in the Accra and Tema metropolitan areas in 2003 to ascertain the rights of domestic workers. With support from the Rights And Voices Initiative, (RAVI), LAWA-Ghana continued its advocacy activities on the proposed draft regulation in four regions ; namely Volta, Western, Ashanti and Central regions. It has drafted regulations on domestic workers generally, which it hopes will be adopted under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). They often serve several categories of people in the home. It is perceived that people who often hire their services are relations due to the country’s strong cultural attitudes and practices. And such relations often promise the domestic assistants greener pastures but end up giving them nothing. A research by LAWA in Accra and Tema in 2003 revealed that domestic workers are usually denied basic human rights.They do not engage in any form of contract and even when they do, it is usually done through agencies. According to Gloria Ofori Boadu, a member of LAWA-Ghana, the project focused on the rights of domestic assistants and using the rights-based approach, undertook certain activities in each of the regions. These, she said include conducting research, rapid appraisal to ascertain regional trends, stakeholders forum and capacity building workshop for domestic workers on their rights and responsibilities.“These domestic workers are mostly females as young as eight years who enjoy no labour rights, social security but suffer from lots of abuses, with sexual harassment running through.” She recommended the need for legal reforms to ensure that domestic workers are covered, public education and sensitization and resource allocation to district departments for social welfare and labour offices to enforce these laws. Two posters with clear messages, “Abusing your house help is criminal” and “First to Rise, Last to Sleep” were also launched.