Problems of Women Domestic Workers in Tamil Nadu
Fabian Andrew James1, R.Vettriselvan2, R.Srinivasan3, S. Poongavanam4, J. Rengamani5
1Dr. Fabian Andrew James, AMET Business School, Academy of Maritime Education and Training Deemed to be University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
1Dr. R. Vettriselvan, AMET Business School, Academy of Maritime Education and Training Deemed to be University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
3Dr. R. Srinivasan, AMET Business School, Academy of Maritime Education and Training Deemed to be University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
4Dr. S. Poongavanam, AMET Business School, Academy of Maritime Education and Training Deemed to be University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
5Dr. J. Rengamani, AMET Business School, Academy of Maritime Education and Training Deemed to be University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
Manuscript received on 22 April 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 01 May 2019 | Manuscript Published on 05 May 2019 | PP: 391-395 | Volume-8 Issue-2S2, May 2019 | Retrieval Number: B10820182S219/19©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Domestic workers – who sweep, swab, wash, cook, take care of the children and look after the elderly – yet, are invisible. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), “A domestic worker is someone who carries out household work in a private household in return for wages.” The poor and marginalized women are now joining the growing force of domestic workers in Indian towns and cities. In this backdrop, this research work aims at understanding the socio economic background of women domestic workers and problems faced by them in Thoothukudi District in Tamil Nadu. This particular region was selected for research as it has large number of women domestic workers due to seasonal employment in Salt and Fishing sectors. One hundred women domestic workers were selected as sample through Purposive Sampling method and the required data were collected from them by using a semi structured interview schedule designed for this purpose. The study results show that the poor economic condition of family drives the women to opt for domestic work and they are exploited by the employers in many forms. They possess a very low status both in the workplace as well as in the society. They work for a paltry sum and are at the mercy of their keepers without any rights. The study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive policies and legislations to control the exploitation of women in unorganized workforce. Domestic Work should be declared as a profession and as such all the rights and privileges as applicable to all other workers are made available to them. Establishing Self help groups in their area and giving training in income generating activities will certainly go a long way to empower them.
Keywords: Women, Domestic, Workers, Empowerment.
Scope of the Article: Social Sciences