Translating lived experience into innovation to support female domestic workers in India
Arya Diwase is the winner of the 2023 Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) Launch Pad prize, which awards $10,0000 and mentorship to a current Fuqua MBA students with an impact enterprise idea. Arya will use Launch Pad funds to travel to India in order to pilot Himayat, a comprehensive HR management and employee benefits platform supporting female domestic worksers and their employers in India.
The Problem:
Nearly every urban household in India employs a domestic worker. Employers on average spend an additional 13% beyond wages in other incentives to retain and support the welfare of their domestic workers. However, women domestic workers lack financial and bodily autonomy due to patriarchal family structures and the money is often misused by men in the family. So, despite being breadwinners, women domestic workers live in a continuous cycle of poverty, abuse, illiteracy, and gender inequality. Further, due to the lack of formal protection in this industry, employers struggle to retain labor and the work force faces high attrition. Millions of dollars are currently being lost with no real benefits to the employers or their domestic workers.
The Solution:
Himayat is a comprehensive human resources management and employee benefits platform supporting female domestic workers and their employers in India. A minimal investment by the employers will provide millions of dollars’ worth of benefits for domestic workers while helping employers save money and retain trustworthy labor. Himayat’s vision is to protect and improve the working and living conditions of domestic workers worldwide by formalizing their role within the economy.
Read more about past Launch Pad winners and explore our Scaling Pathways series to learn more about the journeys other impact enterprises have taken to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.