The Effects of Domestic Workers Lower Salaries and Challenges

Domestic work is a significant and enduring component of the Namibia' labor market, but its contribution to the Namibia economy has been consistently undervalued by the wage levels paid to domestic workers. This study is meant to explore the components of the low salaries for domestic workers and challenges faced by domestic labor, its economic worth, and to build on the relatively limited body of economic research done on domestic labor in Namibia; it is hoped that this study will bring a new perspective on the topic. The issue of domestic work in Namibia has not received much attention. The study used a qualitative approach, and focused on the experiences of domestic workers in Oshana region. Drawing upon data from 40 questionnaires with women domestic workers, this research explores specifically the experiences of domestic workers in Oshakati town, in Oshana region. Domestic work is the second largest area of employment for black women in Namibia. This research found that the experiences of women in domestic work vary substantially from experiences of women in other sectors, primarily because domestic workers work in the personal space of their employees.