Undervalued and Overrepresented: Voices of Migrant Domestic Workers in India

摘要: In India and globally, domestic work continues to be one of the professions that is rooted in history colonialism, slavery, servitude due lack workplace regulation one-on-one power negotiation between employer worker. Thousands households urban are dependent upon workers for tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, caregiving. This profession predominantly consists women from low socioeconomic families, scheduled caste tribe. Additionally, urbanization a decline agricultural industry, majority have migrated various parts country poverty. The migrant (MWDWs) often faced with exploitative conditions at their social environment. Previous studies policy initiatives focused on exploitation. However, there challenges go beyond confines employer’s house adversely impact well-being MWDW. Using lens emphasizes sociocultural, economic environment an individual’s wellbeing, current study aims direct employer–employee relationship. analyses data 91 MWDWs 6 states India—(i) Bihar, (ii) Jharkhand, (iii) Karnataka, (iv) Madhya Pradesh, (v) Odisha, (vi) Uttar Pradesh. results contribute towards (i) providing insight everyday hardships MWDW emphasizing need diversify discourse workers’ rights include role family, community, state, national level infrastructure, recommending alternative approaches securing decent overall can supplement government legislation.