Article summary
Abstract
This study examines the human rights of domestic workers in India through a
socio-legal analysis, with special reference to the Bareilly region of Uttar Pradesh.
Domestic work remains one of the most informal, invisible, and weakly regulated
forms of employment, leaving workers vulnerable to low wages, insecure employment,
lack of written contracts, inadequate social security, unsafe working conditions,
discrimination, harassment, and limited access to legal remedies. The study analyses
constitutional protections, labour legislation, social security measures, international
labour standards, and institutional mechanisms relevant to domestic workers. It also
considers the socio-economic profile of Bareilly, including migration, gender relations,
household structures, informal employment, and the particular vulnerabilities faced
by women domestic workers. The findings indicate a significant gap between formal
rights and their practical enforcement. Limited awareness, weak institutional capacity,
lack of documentation, procedural barriers, and insufficient worker-specific legal
protections continue to restrict access to justice and welfare benefits. The study argues
for a comprehensive rights-based framework that includes registration, standardised
employment contracts, wage protection, social security coverage, effective grievance
mechanisms, legal aid, gender-sensitive safeguards, and stronger enforcement. Such
reforms are essential to ensure dignity, equality, security, and meaningful labour
rights for domestic workers in India, especially in vulnerable regional contexts.