Voices of domestic workers in Calcutta

Abstract

This research examines the experiences of female domestic workers in Calcutta, India, with a focus on the relationships between the workers and their female employers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty female domestic workers in Calcutta in 2015–2016. The women were asked to reflect on their relationships with their female employers, and responses were analyzed using grounded theory. Three themes emerged from the analysis, indicating three different kinds of relationships the workers had with their employers. Some of the women talked about a professional relationship, which is formal and lacks warmth, characterized by status differentiation. Others talked about a distant and abusive relationship, where exploitation is direct and explicit. The largest group talked about a caring and supportive relationship, where there is love, consideration, and understanding. All three groups of women, however, felt that their relationship with their female employer involved some level of exploitation, whether it was overt or concealed. These findings give voice to a vulnerable group of workers in contemporary India, exposing social relationships between women of different classes that are characterized by both compassion and exploitation. We argue that these women’s stories provide further evidence that legal protections must be put in place for domestic workers in India, in accordance with international recommendations.