Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I would like to study the role of women domestic workers' intersectional and gendered positioning in shaping their participation and experiences in the labour market by conducting a primary study of part-time women domestic workers in Delhi.

Paper long abstract:

Based on a primary study of women domestic workers (WDW) in Delhi, this paper aims to study the factors shaping women’s participation and experiences in India’s domestic workers’ labour market. The last two decades have seen a rise in the share of women as domestic workers in the urban sector. Most of this upsurge has been attributed to the growing middle class’s increasing demand for part-time domestics. Employing part-time domestics allows the employer to pay the worker only for limited tasks. This allows the worker ‘greater autonomy’ in working hours. Such flexibility may be limited given their reproductive responsibilities as women. A disproportionate representation of women workers from marginalised caste groups also characterises the occupation. Moreover, these women are not entitled to minimum wages and social security as workers. Consequently, these women might bear a disproportionate burden of paid and unpaid care responsibilities. Given this context, this paper aims to answer two questions. First, what is the role of social structures of caste, class, and gender in shaping their participation and experiences as a worker? Second, what is the role of women’s reproductive responsibilities in shaping their participation and experiences as a woman? The data for this study was collected via detailed interviews with 150 WDW in two districts of Delhi. The participants were selected using systematic random sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. This study contributes to an analysis of the role of individuals’ intersectional and gendered positioning in the reproduction of low-wage employment and unfair labour contracts.