Domestic worker empowered in India

Prabha, a 46-year-old woman from a small village in Jharkhand, left behind her husband and two children in search of work, hoping to provide for her family. She moved to Muzaffar Nagar, Meerut, to work as a live-in domestic worker, but life in the new city quickly became a nightmare. Her employers were abusive—shouting at her, beating her, and paying her little. She was forbidden from calling home or leaving the house. Days turned into months, and Prabha felt trapped and broken.

One day, summoning all her courage, she secretly contacted her sister-in-law. That call changed everything. Her story reached the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM) in Delhi. When the NDWM tried to meet her, her employers refused, so they involved the police. Prabha was rescued, and her employers were forced to pay her overdue wages. She moved in with her sister-in-law in Delhi, where NDWM supported her with counseling and legal advice. Soon after, she found a new job in a kind and respectful household, where she now enjoys a weekly day off, fair pay, and a room of her own.

But Prabha’s journey didn’t end there. She joined NDWM’s union, attended training sessions, and learned about her rights. From being silenced and afraid, she has become a confident advocate for others like her. Prabha’s story is no longer one of suffering; it is one of strength, recovery, and new beginnings.