Domestic work in Zambia has its roots in the early colonial era as a source of cash incomes
for the male workers. Females mostly stayed home to raise families and manage the
households, eventually being incorporated into domestic labour as child minders, and later
fully fledged domestic work as is the case currently. Like other domestic workers worldwide,
these domestic workers provide critical services facilitating the operations of the labour
market and the functioning of the economy. Through surplus domestic labour, the domestic
worker is situated as an ideological function in the reproduction of the social relations of
production which subsequently leads to their exploitation and abuse through increased
precariousness.
The study aimed to explore the experiences and working conditions of domestic workers in
Zambia focusing on Lusaka’s Kalingalinga and Mtendere areas. The study further examined
the role of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Labour, the United House and Domestic
Workers Union of Zambia (UHDWUZ), Employment Agencies as well as the employers in
the regulation of domestic workers conditions of service, in addition to the responses of
domestic workers to their challenges. This was achieved through the use of qualitative
interviews involving both structured and semi- structured questions to collect data between
18th June 2012 and 8th July 2012 with a purposive sample of 43 participants.
The study revealed that despite the recent introduction of legislation, domestic workers
continue to suffer abuse and exploitation engendered by lack of access to information, low
levels of education, massive unemployment as well as lack of organised representation.