Area of expertise: domestic work, labour, international migration, gender, migration governance
Purpose of consultancy:
To provide a mapping research on the current laws and policies in India on national and state level (selected major states of origin) related to cross-border migrant domestic workers from India. The research study is to provide IDWF and its affiliates necessary information to formulate its organising and advocacy strategies on migrant domestic workers.
Background:
Indian migrant domestic workers (MDWs) abroad represent a significant portion of the country’s female labor migration. Many are for the Middle East and the Gulf region, where women are heavily employed in domestic work. Many migrate via irregular channels and there has not been government official data that reflects the actual number of migrant domestic workers abroad – estimates show hundreds of thousands of Indian MDWs abroad.
MDWs face systematic abuses and exploitation in their whole-of-migration cycle. Domestic workers, structured by social class, ethnicity, and gender have invisible voice and representation as their rights to organise in both India as the origin and destination countries are often restricted and unprotected.
Hence, The International Domestic Workers Federation, in collaboration with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and its affiliates in India seek to identify and understand the laws and policies in India that govern migration – what have been in place and been evolved, responding or not responding to the need to ensure the rights of migrant domestic workers before departure and abroad. Are migrant domestic workers being provided with consultative and decision-making platforms in deciding and shaping these laws and policies? What are the national and state-level policies that may help or not help MDWs, or even undermine the rights of MDWs? The study will provide necessary information for IDWF and its affiliates in India to discuss and decide advocacy strategies for organising opportunities and lobbying at national, regional and international levels on migration policies and narratives.
The IDWF is a membership-based global federation of domestic workers. It aims at building a strong, democratic and united domestic workers global organization to protect and advance domestic workers’ rights everywhere. Domestic work is work, and all domestic workers deserve to enjoy the same rights as all other workers.
Deliverables:
In close consultation with the IDWF, the research consultant will carry out a mapping of existing national migration policies (pertaining to domestic workers) and state-level policies of identified states. It is to be noted that migration policies may cover a range of different topics such as labour policies, gender policies, policies relating to government departments and ownership of resolving issues such as abuse, harassment and violence at the workplace etc and provide policy reviews, covering strengths, gaps and challenges, recommendation, and reference from national and international policy frameworks.
The research work includes desktop research, and interviews and focus group discussion with key stakeholders.
The preliminary result of the report will be presented to IDWF and its affiliates for understanding and inputs at online meetings and a face-to-face strategic planning and exchange workshop.
Qualification of the Researcher:
- Must be residing in India during the duration of the research project
- Open to travelling within India during the duration of the project
- Has minimum 3 years of experience in conducting similar research or mapping studies, in issues related to gender, migration, labour, identity, care economy etc.
- Familiar with the trade union movement, labor rights or grassroot worker organizations in South Asia.
Duration of the Project: 1st Dec 2025 – 28th Feb 2026
Management and Reporting
The Researcher will report to the IDWF Asia Regional Coordinator and work closely with IDWF affiliates in India, IDWF program officers and project team.
Application: For interested parties, please send the resume, profile and quotation to info@idwfed.org before 21st November 2025.
