Kamwalibai to Home Manager: A Perspective Change

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue X, October 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Kamwalibai to Home Manager: A Perspective Change

Rima Bhavin Mistry^1*, Dr. Rajasi Clerk²

 ¹Phd Scholar, Department of Labour Welfare, School of Social Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
²Director, University School of Social Sciences & HOD, Department of Labour Welfare, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
*Corresponding author

Abstract: Domestic help services are an important avenue for employment for the illiterate and less literate. These services are inevitable and play a very important role for relieving employers from household chores, enabling them to engage in productive employment and developmental activities. These domestic help services are undergoing a vast change from unorganised work to structured work with norms and standards. This study is an attempt to find out factors conducive for potential expansion of this sector in the metropolitan cities of Gujarat. Secondary data from various sources have been used to analyse the situation and identify the scope of their development.

Key Words: Domestic help sector, domestic helpers, domestic servants, skill development, employment agencies, Gujarat

I. DOMESTIC HELP SECTOR

In modern times the cleaning, caretaking, cooking and other house hold work jobs are replacing the traditional Kamwalibai’s. The markets are getting flooded with domestic help services providers. Well trained, groomed “Not maids, but HOME MANAGERS” as ‘Saath’an NGO from Ahmedabad providing domestic help services designate them, are soon making their place against the traditional maids from the unorganized sector.
Recently published Article in ‘Hindustan Times’, “Bai on call: How home service apps are changing domestic help market” mentioned that that there is a remarkable difference in the service from these market-driven companies versus the maids from the unorganised sector.
Domestic work is categorised as cleaning, care taking, cooking, gardening and other maintenance work in the household setups.
Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC), has designed Occupational Standards (OS) for Housekeeping services that include housekeeper cum cook with 400 hours teaching plan to carry out

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