Home Managers – a Step towards Women Empowerment
Home Managers – a Step towards Women Empowerment
Authors : Pritha Dutt and Ankita Dhyani
According to the 2001 census, about 50% of the 80 million inter-state migrants are domestic workers. Nearly 90% of domestic workers in India are twelve to seventy five years old women.1 Over the last few years, studies on domestic workers in India have noted the increase in the numbers of migrant female domestic workers in the cities. However, this sizeable number of urban female domestic workers still remains largely unrecognized in public records (including economic reports) and underreported in the labour market.
The working hours of these domestic workers (household help) can be anywhere between eight and eighteen hours a day with no recompense for additional hours or extra work. While exploitation of full time workers is quite common, even part-time help work for all seven days a week.
Wages for household help could vary from a low of Rs. 150 to a high of Rs. 2000 a month. Paid leave on medical grounds and medical benefits are often unheard of. Though domestic workers have been included in the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 (Act 33 of 2008), they are yet to get any benefits.
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