By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 24: A new study titled ‘Measuring Vulnerability of Female Domestic Workers in Shillong City, Meghalaya’ by Deigracia Nongkynrih and Phrangstone Khongji has provided a closer look at the lives of 200 women working as domestic helpers in Shillong.
Published in the Indian Journal of Labour Economics, the research highlights the quiet struggles of these women, many of whom work hard to keep other people’s homes running, while their own lives remain insecure and unprotected.
The study found that 89% of these domestic workers are vulnerable in various ways. Their problems include low income, poor working conditions, limited education and a lack of support from any group or organisation. Only 9% were found to be mildly vulnerable, and just 2% faced fewer risks.
A major reason behind this vulnerability is the nature of their work. Domestic labour often takes place informally, without proper contracts or legal protection. Most of these women earn about ₹4,000 a month, while some earn as little as ₹1,000 or ₹2,000. Ideally, their income should range between ₹5,000 and ₹6,000. In fact, 68% of them make less than ₹4,000.
This low income means that 82.5% are unable to save anything, making it difficult to handle emergencies or plan for the future.
More than half of these women—about 55%—work part-time, in just a few households. This not only reduces their income but also increases job insecurity.
Part-time workers were found to be more vulnerable than full-time ones. Another concern is that most of them (90.5%) are not part of any union or support group, leaving them with very little bargaining power.
Education plays a crucial role. Around 29.5% of the workers are illiterate and nearly 80% haven’t completed high school. This limits their ability to advocate for their rights or seek better employment opportunities.
The study also explored their personal lives. About 61.5% of them are single (either never married, divorced or separated) and 72% are migrants living far from their families.
Many live in rented accommodation and experience social isolation. In fact, 89% said they are cut off from their relatives, and 90.5% said they do not belong to any group or association.
About 16% reported having faced verbal abuse, while none reported physical abuse. Most said they shared either good or neutral relationships with their employers. This suggests that while personal treatment may not always be harsh, the real issues lie in financial insecurity, lack of job protection and absence of support systems.
One of the major challenges is that domestic work is still not recognised as formal employment under many laws and policies. There is a union in Meghalaya—the All Meghalaya Domestic Workers’ Union, established in 2012—but it has yet to reach the majority of workers.