Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Housemaids: A Case Study of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra

By : Virendra Nagarale , Piyush Telang

Page No: 30-48

Abstract
The world economy was paralysed due to the widespread transmission of Covid-19. The employment scenario had also changed considerably of all types of workers. Employees everywhere reported myriad pandemic-related challenges from lack of advancement opportunities and delayed growth to loss of jobs, all on top of serious physical and mental health concerns. Women in emerging economies are struggling even more, reporting greater challenges and feeling them more acutely than workers in developed economies. Of the total informal sector workers in India, 69.2 % female workers are involved in informal sector including rural and urban meaning that, the majority are those who have no safety net to fall back on (Periodic Labour Force Survey [PLFS], 2021). Several studies have evaluated the impact of Covid-19 on the domestic workers, their mental status, accessibility to the basic services, social relations and economic status on the greater regional level. The present study seeks to analyse and assess the economic impact that the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown had on women domestic workers or housemaids. It also provides an insight to their changed economic situation once the lockdown was lifted. The results of this study show that, more than 50% of the females were employed in the domestic works from last 10 years of which about 70% of the total respondents were working in the multiple households. The monthly income of these workers was below Five Thousand and most of the respondents have no other sources of income to support their families. The present study highlights the significant changes that have occurred to the paid and unpaid work situations of housemaids and discuss the coping mechanisms that can be adopted to deal with such pandemic situations.

Authors :
Virendra Nagarale : Senior Professor, Dept. of Geography, SNDT Women’s University, Pune, Campus, Karve Road, Pune.
Piyush Telang : Research Associate, ICSSR MRP, Dept. of Geography, SNDT Women’s, University, Pune Campus.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/ATNAGI.2024.44.01.3