Doing the Dirty Work: The Experiences of Female Domestic Workers in Pakistan

Abstract

Domestic work is one of the oldest occupations of the informal economy and the number of women in domestic employment is persistently rising. However, the nature of this work, and the problems associated with it, has undergone an immense transformation over the years due to changes in family structures and dynamics. This research is an attempt to examine the issues and challenges faced by domestic workers. A qualitative study of female domestic workers was conducted to achieve this goal. The study addresses several intersected themes such as socio-economic conditions, workplace environment etc. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted and the respondents were selected purposively through snowball sampling. Our findings suggest that paid domestic work is a neglected and highly exploited form of female employment in the informal sector. The findings suggest the need for a sound legal framework on the part of employers as well as for the employees in this sector.