Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 10:

Domestic labour should be legalised so that domestic workers’ rights can be ensured and it can be promoted as a potential employment generating sector, a report released today said.

The government should formulate a concrete policy and legal system to allow local governments and municipalities to address domestic labour, the Annual Status Report — 2004 — ‘Children in Domestic Service in Kathmandu Valley’ released by Childern-Women in Social Serivce and Human Rights (CWISH), said. CWISH had conducted a study by gathering first hand information from 923 chidren working as domestics in Kathmandu. Presenting the report, executive director of CWISH, Milan Dharel, said: “Awareness and sensitising programmes among employers is important for the promotion of good practices and for the adoption of a code of conduct for the employers.” The report has revealed that children below the age of 14 years form 80 per cent of the domestic work force, contradicting the law which prohibits employing a child below 14. According to the International Labour Orgaisation (ILO), there are over 55,000 children involved in domestic work in urban households in the country. The ILO will mark the fourth World Day Against Child Labour on June 12 by looking for ways to rehabilitate children working in small mines and quarries, according to a statement issued by the International Labour Orgaisation today.