The situation of women in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum

Abstract

The women of Dharavi, in many cases, are engaged in the dual roles of homemaker and breadwinner in the informal sector. In the work place, they have to contend with mental and physical stress, long hours of work, and harassment of middlemen and supervisors. On the domestic front, they manage meagre resources to feed a large family, and have to submit to both beatings from their husbands as well as torture from their in-laws, who resort to it as a way of venting frustrations. In spite of their adverse circumstances, the women perform their dual role with utmost sincerity and integrity. The government agency Jan Shikshan Sansthan has sought to help Dharavi's women contribute to family income through better types of income generating activities and also, to imbue them with self-respect and good moral and social values. As a consequence, there has been an overall sea change in the beneficiaries, both in their inner and outer lives. However, a government agency like the Jan Shikshan Sansthan has more of a role to play in making the slum women self reliant and empowering them with the capacity for rational thinking and prudent decision making.