The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Female Domestic Workers in an Urban Setting

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the increasing marginalisation and vulnerability of female domestic workers in urban India in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the impact of the pandemic on the livelihood and the physical, mental and emotional well-being of women domestic workers through a primary survey conducted in Lucknow city in 2020 and 2021. The paper highlights the effect of lockdown on their livelihoods, savings, food security, family life and mental health. It also analyses the effectiveness of the outreach of government support to this vulnerable segment of the urban informal sector. Given the vulnerability of this group to various forms of exploitation, the authors suggest that policy interventions aimed at providing welfare and social protections will need to be coupled with strong political will and increased social consciousness to have an enduring impact. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.