Almost all domestic help women from state, old age their only exit, find study
Extract
from the article:
A recent study focusing on domestic workers in Maharashtra reveals a profound
demographic and socio-economic portrait of this often overlooked segment. An
overwhelming 99% of domestic help workers surveyed were women, pointing to a
highly gendered labor force in this sector. Adding to their vulnerability, over
20% of these women are widowed, bearing the dual burden of being sole providers
and grappling with societal stigma attached to their status. The study
underscores their precarious economic condition, with approximately 40% of
these women identified as the only earners in their families, hence holding
entire households on their shoulders.
Despite their critical role in households across the state,
the domestic help women remain on the fringes of skill development initiatives.
Merely 5% have received any formal training to enhance their employability and
working conditions. Yet, there is a palpable willingness—about 20% expressed
interest in acquiring new skills, which if facilitated, could transform their
occupational prospects and financial stability. The study spotlights old age as
the only ‘exit’ route for these women, with minimal social security or
alternative employment pathways, culminating in a cycle of vulnerability that
demands urgent policy intervention.
My
Take:
A. Domestic
Workers Survey : a Seven Year Itch ?
Reflecting upon my blog from 2021, I observe a striking continuity in the
narrative around domestic workers in India. Back then, I highlighted the launch
of the first-ever All-India Survey on Domestic Workers by the Labour Ministry,
aimed at unearthing critical employment dynamics such as wage patterns, living
arrangements, and socio-economic conditions. My anticipation was that this data
trove would break the deadlock of invisibility surrounding domestic workers,
catalyzing reform.
Now, correlating that with the present Maharashtra study,
it's clear that many core issues persist—gendered labor force, economic
precarity, lack of skill training—which indicates that policy intentions may be
lagging behind implementation. I remember stressing the potential fragmentation
with “Left hand does not know what right hand is doing,” alluding to
duplications and inefficiencies in governmental efforts. It's disheartening yet
clarifying to see these fissures still evident, reinforcing my advocacy for
synchronized, systemic interventions that transcend mere survey administration
and translate into tangible empowerment.
B. Domestic
Workers - Use and Abuse
My reflections from over a decade ago remain eerily relevant today. The blog
detailed the staggering scale of domestic labor—up to 100 million workers by
some estimates—and highlighted the ratification of the ILO Convention designed
to uplift their working conditions. Despite formal commitments on minimum
wages, regulated hours, maternity protection, and social security, progress
appears painfully slow.
The Maharashtra article’s data illustrates the lived reality
behind those policy frameworks—women continue to bear disproportionate burdens
without adequate safety nets or skills development. I had anticipated
resistance from some quarters, like the Employers Federation’s prerogative
favoring employment generation over social benefits. This ideological clash
still echoes loudly, perhaps harder to surmount today given entrenched informal
employment norms. In retrospect, my decade-old call for enforceable labor
protections and acknowledgment of domestic workers’ dignity seems more urgent
than ever.
C. DEAR
SHRI BHUPENDER YADAVJI : A SMALL NOD FROM YOU WILL SAVE THOUSANDS OF CRORES OF
RUPEES
This recent blog draws a direct line between government action—specifically a
small affirmative nod from the Labour Minister—and the monumental potential
savings and uplift for domestic workers nationally. It echoed my persistent
concern about the “Seven Year Itch”—the alarming time gaps between survey
initiation and actionable outcomes. The Maharashtra study’s grim statistics on
gender imbalance, widowhood, sole earning, and scant skill training confirm the
urgent necessity of targeted policy responses.
Notably, my commentary anticipated that without decisive
leadership and commitment, multiple surveys and data collections risk becoming
bureaucratic exercises devoid of substantive impact. Now, the need for focused
skill training programs coupled with social security frameworks, especially for
older workers facing ‘exit’ from the labor market, is more prominent than ever.
I see this as a clarion call for policymakers to accelerate reforms that not
only recognize domestic workers’ plight but embed sustainable solutions.
Call
to Action:
To the Honourable Labour and Employment Ministry of Maharashtra and Central
Government authorities: It is imperative to translate survey insights into
comprehensive policy action. Prioritize scaled skill development programs for
domestic workers, particularly women, to empower them economically and
socially. Establish robust social security measures, including pension schemes
and healthcare access, to support aging domestic workers who currently face
precarious ‘exit’ scenarios.
Engage civil society and relevant stakeholders in designing
culturally sensitive outreach and training modules that acknowledge the complex
realities these women face. Above all, harmonize inter-ministerial efforts to
prevent administrative redundancies and ensure resource optimization. The time
to move beyond acknowledgments and surveys is now—these women have waited long
enough for recognition and relief.
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
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