PROGRAM ON TO ERADICATION OF BONDED LABOUR

“Education and social action to release 250 women bonded labourers

working in quarries, brick kilns and hollow block units in 25 rural

villages  in Kalasapakkam Block of Thiruvannamalai district”.

This project being submitted is for the benefit of 250  women that have been

working in stone quarries, brick kilns and hollow block units as bonded labourers for many years.

•  The owners of the activities have advanced payment to the families. Because of this the

women are forced to continue to work for the owners at very low wages.

- The beneficiary women have no say in the fixation of wages.

•  Many a number of times the women have been subjugated to sexual exploitation. The poor

women succumb to the pressures of the owners and other male supervisors because of their total dependency status.

•  The education of the their children is at stake as the women have been circumscribed to live

near the work places that are far away from the villages and schools.

•  The health of the women is almost always poor as the women are involved in activities

that are associated with lifting of heavy materials. When they are sick they are not given

time to attend to proper medical attention and care. As a result many of them live with one

infection or the other

•  The beneficiary women are unhealthy and suffer from iron deficiency anaemia and ill health.

There had been instances of abortions due to hard work and lifting of heavy materials.  

Please give us links to relevant websites, newspaper articles and videos related to the problem you're addressing, so we can inform ourselves

- https://frontline.thehindu.com/social-issues/article30187667.ece

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/six-bonded-labourers-rescued-from-brick-kiln-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/103579911.cms?from=mdr

What is the main goal of your action?  (50-100 words)

•  BOSS NGO proposes to create proper and appropriate awareness to the beneficiary women on women’s issues and autonomy that will include women’s rights as envisaged in the constitution and through subsequent enactments in the parliament:

- Property rights, sexual rights, legal rights, benefits in education institutions, employment opportunities, political rights etc.

•  Generation of public consciousness on issues related to emancipation of bonded labour through organization of rallies
•  Release the 250 women labourers from bondage and help them find alternative occupation

As the first measure of action, BOSS NGO  will arrange peaceful consultations and discussions with the owners of brick kilns, stone quarries, hollow block units to evolve a peaceful solution to the problem failing which, BOSS NGO will work with the women bonded labourers and government machineries to proceed to organize other forms of action that will include direct action .

•  Organization of 5 days awareness cum brainstorming sessions with the 250 beneficiary

women on the future course of action that wil include discussion on swithcing over to other alternative occupations

@ 25 women per program – to spread over each program over a three weeks period to

facilitate the organization of the programs on rest days only

•  Organization of rallies together with distribution of handbills and exhibition of posters on

relevant issues in 25 villages involving women in self-help groups, beneficiary groups and

youth groups – total number of participants in each village will be about 100

•  Organization of one day intensive education programs for 20 young women in self-help

groups in each of the 25 project villages

These education programs will be organized in their native villages only.

•  Holding one day consultations with the 50 owners of brick kilns, hollow block units and

quarries and in the process involve the government departments to add necessary back up

action for the program

•  Other participants in the project – members and leaders of women in self-help groups, youth

groups and formal and informal leaders in the selected villages