Socioeconomic wellbeing of women domestic workers in Pune: an exploratory study

Abstract

PurposeHousehold chores are one of the most essential aspects of each individual's daily routine. The author has observed people from middle and upper socioeconomic backgrounds, outsourcing women domestic workers to perform these household tasks. Even though these women domestic workers make up a significant portion of the total working class, they remain a socially and financially vulnerable section of society. The job of working in other people's private spaces comes with little or no regulation, social protection and no guarantee of decent work standards. The major aim of this study is to find out the social wellbeing of part-time domestic workers of Pune.Design/methodology/approachFor this purpose, the researchers have interviewed 167 women working in the Pune region of Maharashtra, India from the period of October 2020 to January 2021. Descriptive methods and factor analysis have been used to analyze the collected data, so that socioeconomic wellbeing correlated with the significant factors explored. Further, the factors identified that Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFAs) are further validated through reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha for economic wellbeing and social wellbeing index for social wellbeing).FindingsWith the help of this study, researchers have tried to explore the significant factors to the social and economic wellbeing of domestic workers. The qualitative facts collected during the interview time have substantiated the findings got in EFA.Originality/valueThe paper aims to provide ground-level insights to policymakers focusing on the domestic work sector, and the gaps identified in the research will help the policymakers to frame the guidelines for the betterment of these informal domestic workers.