HomeNet Bangladesh

Bangladesh Homeworkers Women’s Association (BHWA) has taken initiative to develop and promote HomeNet Bangladesh- a national network organization of homebased workers in Bangladesh working with different homebased workers organizations. Initially, the first activity taken on hand by HomeNet Bangladesh was the mapping exercise, which was executed to trace the organizations working with homebased workers in Bangladesh. The objective was to invite more and more homebased workers organizations to join the network and make the network strong.

BHWA and HomeNet Bangladesh are mainly engaged in the organizing homebased workers, providing social protection, better market access and national policy for homebased workers. The two major workshops were conducted; National Workshop on homebased workers-2002 and National workshop on health, safety and Social protection in year 2003. In the marketing front a two-day Trade fair on handicraft was organized to promote the products of homebased workers and give the visibility to homebased workers.

HomeNet India
SEWA took the initiative to sponsor HomeNet India- a national network organization of homebased worker in India. The network comprises various homebased worker organizations such as cooperatives, trade unions, trust, NGOs, associations etc. So far, the network has conducted three workshops. For the homebased workers they organized a national workshop on homebased workers in year 2002, national workshop on Incense stick rollers in year 2003 and food processing in year 2003.

HomeNet Nepal
HomeNet Nepal is a network organization of homebased workers in Nepal which is set up with an objective to organize the network of homebased workers, to organize various trainings, workshops for the professional promotion to homebased workers and to advocate on issues of homebased workers. A national workshop on the homebased workers was organized in year 2002 and as an outcome of the workshop activities for organizing, advocacy, social protection and marketing are executed.

HomeNet Pakistan
Aurat Foundation is taking an initiative to bring other organizations to promote HomeNet Pakistan in Pakistan. In the course of the activity they have completed the mapping exercise, which was done to locate organizations working towards organizing and improving the working conditions of homebased workers. In addition, along with UNIFEM they have organized a National workshop on homebased workers in year 2002. HomeNet Pakistan is widening the network by disseminating and highlighting more and more issues about homebased workers and the objective of HomeNet Pakistan.

HomeNet Sri Lanka
Siyath Foundation has taken an initiative to build a HomeNet Sri Lanka- a national network of homebased workers organization in Sri Lanka. The network stands as a catalyst to provide various services to the organization of homebased workers on marketing, capacity building, training, organizing. In the series of the activities they have organized a national workshop on homebased workers in year 2002. They have conducted a study on homebased workers in the southern province of Sri Lanka. Also, they have organized various training on leadership, capacity building, skill up gradation and organizing.

• United Nations Development Fund for Women

  The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is the women’s fund at the United Nations and was created in 1976, in response to a call from women’s organizations attending the 1975 UN First World Conference on Women in Mexico City.  It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies that promote women’s human rights, political participation and economic security.  Within the UN system, UNIFEM promotes gender equality and links women’s issues and concerns to national, regional and global agendas by fostering collaborations and providing technical expertise on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment strategies.  For more information www.unifem.org.in