On August 26, 2021, the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Indian government launched the e-Sharm portal to create a database of workers in the unorganised sector.
Home-based workers, construction workers, domestic workers, and other unorganised workers are eligible for several state and federal social security programmes through their registered e-shram cards.
Domestic workers are among the most marginalised workers in the unorganised sector, as the central government's Code on Social Security 2020 has also excluded them, leaving them fully outside the scope of government support systems. The launch of the e-shram portal has given them hope that they will be treated like workers at the very least.
In Gurugram, majority of the domestic workers are migrants from states like Bihar, west Bengal, Uttar predesh etc. hence linking them to the e-shram portal was difficult. In majority of the case, the adhaar card of the domestic workers were not updated and linked to their mobile number. Domestic worker leaders in the community formed a group and decided to visit the nearby adhaar seva kendra. They wrote application to the concerned officer for organising a adhaar camp in the basti so that every women domestic worker can update their adhaar card and accordingly can make their e-shram cards. The women did not get any positive response from the Adhaar kendra but they are regularly visiting for the approval of their request.
Through Swabhiman kendra, the importance and benefits of the e-shram card were discussed with the women domestic workers; after which many of them showed interest in making the e-shram cards.
The women domestic workers whose documents are updated made their e-shram cards. Volunteers from Sehri Gharelu Mahila Kamgaar Union visited the Swabhiman kendra, gurugram and facilitated the process of registration on e-shram portal. A total of 50 women domestic workers got themselves registered during the 2- day camp organised by the Union at the swabhiman kendra.