The COVID-19 Pandemic and Intra-household Bargaining

Abstract

Abstract Studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated that poor women have been the worst sufferers in terms of pay cuts and job losses and have been the hardest hit also at the household level. They have had to bear the brunt of constrained household budgets and domestic violence during pandemic-induced lockdowns and restrictions. This chapter on the gender impact of the pandemic in Delhi, India, seeks to explore whether women who have achieved some agency from their work gain a stronger capacity for intra-household bargaining and are less likely to face household-level discrimination. We also try to understand whether the extent, severity, and nature of discrimination within the household may change if women have better chances than men to retain or get back their jobs. Empirically, we rely on 31 interviews with women domestic workers, conducted inperson in Delhi.