Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member NCW, was Chief Guest at “ National Convention on Strategies and Outreach to Protect Rights of Informal Workers, Women and Children” held on 25th August, 2012. The programme was organized by NIDAN, a NGO working for informal workers, women and children at Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. 

Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member, NCW said that it is important to organize campaigns and educate workers on their rights, in which NGOs play an important role. She deplored the fact that despite numerous schemes to benefit the workers, they had little or no access to them. She stressed on the need to develop strategies for ensuring that decent work conditions and basic minimum facilities are provided to informal workers specially Women and Children. She also heard Sh. Meghnath Paswan from Vaishali District who spoke on the problems of MNRAGA and how villagers were not able to access the guaranteed 100 days right to work. 

On behalf of Nidan, Sh. Arbind Singh, Founder, putting the programme in context also said that the NGO along with its associates, has decided to open legal aid clinics for informal sector workers, women and children in Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Haryana and Rajasthan. 

Other Speakers at the inaugural session included Mr. Srijan Pal Singh, MD & CEO Kalam Foundation, New Delhi. Sh. Harkrishan Bahadur,former MP, and Dr. Subash Bhatnagar, National Compaign Committee, New Delhi. Mr. Rakesh Tripathi, Sr. Programm Manager and Ms. Kumari Shyamali, Coordinator, addressed on behalf of Nidan. 

Discussion were held on the topics of Informal Sector Workers Rights - Issues & Strategies Lessons for Outreach, Women’s Rights issues and Child Rights Issues, Strategies & Lesson for Outreach. 

Participating NGOs included National Campaign Committee, New, Delhi, Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi, NASVI and representative organization of Waste Pickers and Domestic Workers.

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