Domestic Workers in Guwahati and Society for Social Transformation and Environmental Protection
By Ms Smita Das
Domestic work at its best is a form a livelihood, a symbiotic relationship between a middle or upper classes working family, and a poor individual in a state of desperation. With living quarters, food, and shelter provided, domestic work is a means of surviving, urbanizing, saving, and possibly attaining social mobility. However at its worst, domestic work can be considered modern day slavery. Domestic workers are often restricted from leaving their household, invisible and unreachable to interested organizations or researchers. Many are vulnerable to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse behind closed doors, and neighbors neglect reporting problems due to social pressure. Most relationships fall somewhere in between. Employers often consider their domestic workers to be members of the family but at the same time, do not permit them to sit on chairs and couches. Moreover, the issue of domestic work has important implications for class and gender inequalities.
This informal sector has the least education, the lowest income, and the fewest rights, but the greatest potential. Conceptually easy solutions lie with structure. This seems especially true for domestic workers in Guwahati. A simple maid agency could help both domestic workers and their employers, and the more I thought about it, the more benefits it seemed to have.
A maid agency could provide mutually beneficial solutions for both employers and domestic workers: placement, contracts, screening, training, financial intermediation, and quality inspections. I wrote a business plan and received funding for a feasibility study from Rice University, and Siddhartha Mahanta decided to join me for the adventure and assist with the research. We had the opportunity to spend time with our families and increase our interest and commitment to the development of Assam, and we made some amazing memories. 
After surveying 715 households we found that live-in domestic workers earn Rs. 3.3 per hour (figure includes the employer’s expenses on food, shelter, and clothing) and actively work 11 hours per day. We estimate that domestic work accounts for 40,000 jobs in Guwahati, with 9,500 employers currently in search of a domestic worker, signaling the importance of this form of livelihood as well as clear labor market imperfections. As the size of the female work force and middle class has increased, so has the demand for domestic workers, while the supply has remained stagnant. This indicates the need for the market to be organized and the requirement for employers to adjust their expectations. We hope to disclose more data in the next newsletter.
sSTEP (Society for Social Transformation and Environmental Protection), based near Ganeshguri, provided us with a tremendous amount of support as well as inspiration during our research. This nonprofit is powered by young and passionate Assamese men and women who work from 7am to 9pm, dedicating themselves to establishing strong and equal relationships with the impoverished. They travel to labor markets, villages, and slums, working with women, ragpickers, footpath dwellers, and children. While incorporating innovative entrepreneurial and educational solutions to the needs of the urban poor, they stand strongly against corruption, and have depended on international funding organizations such as Action Aid. Luckily, sSTEP showed strong interest in our project for domestic workers as well and they are ready to implement it.
At the convention in Atlanta, AFNA passed a resolution to support sSTEP in its battle against urban poverty. We hope that the Assamese community will take an interest in their work and/or the domestic worker project and provide support in any possible way. Providing referrals, professional expertise, a financial tax-deductible contribution to this ear-marked project or organization, or just discussing the issue would be greatly appreciated! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at smitaddas@gmail.com or Sid at sid.mahanta@gmail.com.
