HomeNet South Asia is a network organisation of women homebased workers promoted by UNIFEM and SEWA. It was set up after the Kathmandu Declaration , formulated in an international conference convened in Nepal in year 2000. The formal launching of HomeNet South Asia was held on January 17, 2007 in the Conference “Women Work & Poverty Policy Conference on Home Based Workers of South Asia” which was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh.

In South Asia there are about 50 million homebased workers, out of whom approximately 80% are women. The Asia region is a key area for organising homebased workers due to their high number and a strong history of successfully organising these workers in many parts of the region.

Prime Minister of India- Dr. Manmohan Singh at “Women work & Poverty” policy conference at New Delhi from 18^th-20^th Jan. 2007

HomeNet South Asia is the subregional network, and members of HomeNet South Asia are national (country) networks of homebased workers. These are expanding in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and the networks developed in these countries include HomeNet Bangladesh, HomeNet India, HomeNet Nepal, HomeNet Pakistan and HomeNet Sri Lanka. In the future more national networks may be added, drawing from other countries in South Asia. The process of forming a national network often begins with one focal organisation that works with other homebased workers’ organisations in the country, resulting over time in the establishment of a national network that can help provide information and services to homebased workers in the country.

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(L-R) Dr. Manmohan Singh (Prime Minister, India), Shri Elaben Bhatt ( Founder, SEWA), Shri Renana Jhabvala ( National Coordinator, SEWA), Zaitun bibi (Agarbatti Worker, SEWA)

Objectives of Homenet South Asia

The objectives of HomeNet South Asia are as follows.

• Make visible homebased workers and their issues

• Advocate for National Policies for homebased workers in each country

• Strengthen the grass roots and particularly the membership-based organisations of homebased workers in each country

• Create and strengthen the South Asia network of homebased workers and their organisations

Padma Gurung Home Based Worker from Nepal