Women's Day Special

SAJAG* is three and half years old now. And in these three years, to hire a team of two teachers, I have asked about 50 women if they were interested to work, waited for 27 women to respond, interviewed about 20 women, hired 9 women. There was not a moment when I was not looking for a teacher in SAJAG. And quality of teaching or qualifications were the least of the criteria for appointment but only few things like reaching the interview on time, communicating in case of problems were few criteria that would lead to consideration for appointment.

The reasons for high staff turn-over was not ‘disliking the work or the work conditions’ but the inability to manage multiple responsibilities at home especially with children/elderly and work. Thought teaching is considered ‘the easy job’, as the best option for balancing work as well as home responsibilities, it was a challenge for me to set a team.

Having worked in NGOs before, I have understood how working space can be demanding, motivating, enthralling, (and also frustrating) for women. How they find ways to fight for their space at work and at home. I remember when I was working in Wada five years back, the women used to come in saris and change to salwar kameez for some of our work activities as modern dresses was not allowed in their customs. But after five years of work they confidently come to work in salwar kameez. Their fight to find this space and trust was not an easy one. Contrary to what some may believe, its challenging in urban areas too.  If you lack social support, support like babysitting, elderly support becomes costly which ultimately puts the burden on women. As an employer, I am still finding my balance where to set in some of the non-negotiables and where to be flexible. But my team till now has been very supportive in ensuring the quality of work as priority.

Since it was a continuous heartwrenching experience of hiring women and creating expectation and seeing them go, I was curious to learn more about it. According to the ILO report of India, 42% urban women were attending to domestic duties in 1993-94, while in 2011-12 this increased to 46.1% . And amongst these women, only 28% showed willingness to be employed but the preferences were jobs near household premises and on a part-time basis. The main factors mentioned for the sudden drop in women’s participation is increasing access to education (choice of work is delayed because of it), reducing employment opportunities, increase in household incomes reducing participation of women in income generation, low employment security, wage parity and balancing the competing burdens of work and family responsibilities. Of the percentage of working women, most of them are employed in informal sector where their risk of exploitation is highest.

Most of the women from the community I work with are employed in informal sector like maids, vegetable vendors etc. They work because of the household demands. And whatever they earn is spent which leaves very less room for saving. But the economic empowerment which they get helps them to spend in things they believe is important like their children’s school and tuition fees etc.

Considering the experiences of hiring, have understood to make the timings flexible for women. Most prefer to match their work timings when their children are at school. This means that they do not get break from responsibilities but it helps a lot in positive social life as well as economic empowerment. At the end of three years of SAJAG, I am not writing to complain but am proud of SAJAG team members who have continuously strived to find the balance between home and work – a work which they believe in.

Sajitha 

Co-Founder 

SAJAG
(SAJAG is an NGO working with students of urban poor) 

Sharing experience of two of the teachers in successive posts. (in Marathi)