Mobile phone use among female live-out domestic workers in Delhi

Abstract

This study explores mobile phone use among female live-out (as opposed to live-in) domestic workers in Delhi. Through interviews with 102 workers, it examines two main themes. First, it provides a nuanced perspective on the relationship between mobile telephony and women’s empowerment by viewing the impact of the device through the conceptual lens of restricted agency. It finds that for marginalized women who have limited options available to them, the device is integrated into existing power structures that remain unaltered. Yet, it is within the constraints imposed on them by patriarchal cultural beliefs and their low socio-economic status that they utilize the mobile phone to gain a greater sense of autonomy and control over their domestic and professional lives. Second, this study also examines the economic impact of the mobile phone on their work. It finds that the device enhances their productivity and makes job-seeking more efficient. Moreover, it is the workers’ ability to stay in touch with family and friends, which can often be ignored amidst the heavy focus on instrumental business-related uses of the mobile phone, that significantly contributes towards the device’s positive impact on their work.