Chenamma, who once worked as a domestic worker, is struggling to find work. “I feel healthy mentally and physically when I work. However, because I am old now, no household or office wants me as a domestic help,” says the 60-year-old, adding that she does not enjoy borrowing money from her family.
Like most other people who work in the unorganised sector, Chenamma, has no financial backup. “I don’t have any government services like PF or ESI, and domestic work is the only way I can meet my daily needs,” she says.
Chenamma was one of the many women who participated in a public hearing focusing on the rights of female domestic workers’ rights, held at the St Joseph’s College of Commerce on Wednesday. Organised by the Domestic Workers Rights Union and spearheaded by activist Geeta Menon, the event sought to address hardships faced by these workers in the city, including poor working conditions and denial of wages.
