Invisibility As a Barrier to Collectivity: Argentinian and Indian Homeworkers

Two, key and probably interlinked characteristics of homework are gender and the invisibility of homeworkers. However, invisibility in homework has received scant attention from scholars. This paper explores in/visibility in relation to women homeworkers: its links to their work experience and recognition as workers, and its interface with unions, NGOs, corporations and government. At the same time, it documents and compares relatively unknown instances of homework in Argentina and India to make a contribution to knowledge about homework, which is still an under-researched area.

Homeworkers are often portrayed as unorganised, and have been labelled ‘unorganisable’. We argue that homeworker invisibility is linked to a lack of representation and agency at the grassroots, which presents a particular obstacle for homeworkers.  Corporate responses to reports of poor labour conditions, such as child labour, focus on risks to the firm rather than the work conditions of homeworkers.  Rendering homeworkers as invisible allows firms to make substantial changes to the organization of work without the need to consider the homeworkers. 

What is the evidence on invisibility and how does it affect homeworkers? The paper draws from a range of data to address these questions. In Argentina, interviews were conducted with an NGO; the Ministry of Labour; a union body, and homeworkers in Buenos Aires. In India, interviews were conducted with homeworkers, NGOs, small contractors and Indian manufacturers in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The data highlight how little attention has been given to the voice of homeworkers and demonstrate how this contributes to making these women workers invisible. This paper valorises the voices of homeworkers and situates their cases within a broader discussion of the barriers informal women face in developing collective strategies to be recognised as workers, and to increase their agency and voice.