International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Shifting landscapes of Live-in Women Domestic Workers in Uttar Pradesh

Author(s) Prof. Sangeeta Pandey, Jaya Joseph
Country India
Abstract Shifting landscapes of Live-in Women Domestic Workers in Uttar Pradesh demonstrate the ongoing socio-economic and cultural transformations shaping urban and semi-urban areas of India. With rapid urbanization and increasing women’s labour force participation in formal sector have substantially augmented the dependence on women domestic workers in families living in urban centres of Uttar Pradesh. This paper attempts to examine how women engaged in informal sector as domestic aid are supporting women working in formal sector. Women and families working in villages as “kameens” are often paid less by their “Jajmans” and hence, they tend to look for alternative job opportunities including MNREGA in village itself. But still, they experience monetary difficulties. As a result, they get fascinated by the employment opportunities, quality of education, standard of living and financial freedom of semi-urban and urban centres. These are few pull factors that compel them to migrate to semi-urban and urban areas. On the other hand, the increasing women labour force participation in formal sector has created a vacuum in context of their daily household tasks. Therefore, the women domestic workers play a crucial role in providing help in urban households and taking over the absence by performing all the chores including care-giving and nurturing in these households. With the process of urbanisation, the families who have migrated to urban areas of Uttar Pradesh still have their economic and emotional ties with their villages. In this scenario, they strive to strengthen their rural connects and engage women for household work in urban and semi-urban localities from their native village who were earlier performing the role of kameens. These women from kameen families are often seen as reliable source of support. The present study tries to analyse the shifting landscapes of live-in women domestic workers in Uttar Pradesh through sociological lens. It scrutinizes how the intersection of caste, class and gender hierarchies shape the working and living conditions of these women.
The research paper highlights how live-in domestic workers reveal the blurred lines between domestic space and workspace, care and paid labour, affection and authority within employer–employee relations. The study unwraps the continuation of traditional roles based on kinship, caste and village bonds brings access to employment and often reinforce social hierarchies with the domestic realm. Although the employers treat them like a family member, nevertheless, the deep-rooted asymmetries of power and dependence cannot be ignored. Even without formal labour rights, live-in domestic workers exercise quiet forms of resistance and everyday negotiation to assert dignity within these confined intimate spaces.
Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a transition from an agrarian economy to a diversified urban centre. Historically rooted in agriculture, state’s economic profile is being reshaped by the expansion of trade, industries, and the growing service sector. Developments across all sectors have opened new avenues of employment, particularly for women. This economic expansion led to an increasing dependence on domestic workers to sustain urban lifestyles. With more women entering the formal workforce, the demand for paid domestic labour for tasks such as childcare, eldercare, cleaning, and cooking has amplified.
Keywords Domestic Workers, Jajmani System, Rural Relationships, Rural Ties
Field Sociology
Published In Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On 2025-12-14
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.63600
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