This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On the passing of Toni Morrison, the world lost a literary giant, but also a woman who understood the importance of acknowledging the unseen labor that makes life easier for many.
As a single woman of a certain age, I find myself in the midst of 'The Sandwich' – juggling childcare, elderly care, and financially compensated work. To manage this, I outsource my domestic work, a decision that has been a factor in African women's lives for a long time.
When we say 'it takes a village,' we often forget that sometimes, you have to pay for some members of that village to help out. This can be a complex issue, as domestic work is one of the leading causes of human trafficking both internally and internationally.
As someone who has promised not to contribute to this form of abuse, I have evolved my approach to suit my moral and economic parameters. I pay my domestic workers fairly and don't take them for granted, and I also don't employ anyone younger than me.
This decision is rooted in the understanding that domestic work is very gendered, structured, and dependent on patriarchal behavior for the worst practices to thrive. It's a conversation we don't have enough about, and one that I hope will continue as we reflect on our relationship with our domestic workers.
As I explore the intersection of automation and domestic work, I invite you to join me in this conversation and to contemplate the complexities of this issue.
