Behind Closed Doors: The Struggles of Female Domestic Workers

Regular distressing incidents have been brought to light by the harrowing experiences of underage female domestic workers in the Delhi-NCR region, particularly those belonging to tribal communities in east and central India.

Such incidents resonate strongly with our observations from the state-wide Jharkhand Migration Survey (JMS) conducted as part of the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI). This statewide exercise revealed that women domestic workers from many districts of Jharkhand - with a significant proportion belonging to scheduled tribe communities -? are routinely subjected to various degrees of exploitation.?

While these incidents are undeniably alarming and warrant condemnation, it is crucial to delve deeper into systemic factors that render migrant workers, especially women, vulnerable to such exploitations.

Historically, inter-state seasonal labour migration from Jharkhand has been dominated by men, while women were largely short-distance migrants - primarily working in the agricultural sector or as domestic workers. In recent times, however, there has been a significant increase in women migrants from Jharkhand relocating to major metro cities, primarily as domestic- workers. This shift can be attributed to the rise of a professional middle class in urban areas, often double-wage families who have the economic means to outsource domestic responsibilities. In effect women domestic workers are plugged into the circuits of global capital as the most vulnerable sections, carrying the heaviest burden of subsidising the cost of social reproduction of the workforce.

PDAG’s extensive survey, which attempted to analyse inter-state labour migration from Jharkhand through a gendered lens, reveals that women migrants continue to find themselves in sectors traditionally categorised as "feminine," such as domestic work and textiles - sectors which also continue to have some of the lowest wages. The gendered division of labour not only constrains their employment options but also subjects them to particular challenges, including pervasive gender-based surveillance and exploitation in their places of residence. The absence of a support network compounds their difficulties, setting them apart from male migrants who can rely on peer groups for support and sustenance.

A significant contributing factor to the exploitation of these vulnerable workers is the nexus between local job contractors and unregulated placement agencies. Yet, the involvement of extended family members in the networks, and the conditions of distress that propel migration of young women make any simplistic analysis of exploitation redundant in this context. Our survey reveals that in cases of families of such workers trying to report abuse, the family members tend to become criminalised while the placement agencies and employers often remain outside the purview of legal action. The absence of regulation of these placement agencies alongside legal and bureaucratic bottle-necks makes legal action time-consuming which perpetuates the vulnerability of domestic workers, allowing exploitation to thrive.

Another critical aspect revealed by our survey is that the classification of these women workers as irregular migrants - with migration spells whose duration does not match the normative definitions of short-term migrants (between 1 to 6 months) effectively removes them from official statistical records. Subsequently, PDAG’s research has been focused on highlighting how male-normative definitions systematically exclude women-migrant workers such as in the context of domestic work, where migration spells are between one and three years.?

While micro-studies on domestic workers exist, so far there has been a dearth of academic work which tries to address the systemic exclusion of women-migrant workers from policy measures. To confront this pressing concern, it is imperative that we advocate for stricter regulations, heightened awareness, and comprehensive research. These measures are essential to protect the rights and dignity of women- migrant workers, who migrate to seek better work opportunities but too often find themselves trapped in precarious situations in unfamiliar urban landscapes. Rethinking ‘future of work’ from a gendered perspective and addressing the declining labour force participation of women in the Indian economy, requires that we make the issues of women-migrant workers central to our agenda.??

Reference:

1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pr9OBdV9ZbuRzT-yhdPh9Rqh0iCSUnSV/view?usp=sharing
2. Team PDAG’s insights and findings from the Jharkhand Migration Survey