Her post has highlighted an issue many Indians, particularly women, may recognise: having domestic help does not always mean having less work.
In many Indian homes, three freshly cooked meals a day are considered normal. Leftovers may not always be accepted, while breakfast itself can involve several separate dishes. She gives masala dosa as an example. What appears to be one breakfast can involve preparing dosa batter, potato masala, chutney and sambhar. Even a simple evening snack such as chai and pakoda requires preparation and cooking. Cleaning is another source of work. Domestic workers can reduce some physical work, but they can also create another responsibility: management. Staff may need instructions, coordination and follow-up. As Simpson points out, a maid or cook cannot automatically know a household’s preferences or what needs to be done. Shopping habits add another layer. Even a small trip to buy eggs or coriander requires time, planning and someone to leave the house. Simpson’s broader argument is not that life in India is impossible or that domestic workers are the problem. Instead, she questions the assumption that people need household staff to cope with daily life in India. For many women, especially those carrying most of the responsibility for cooking, cleaning, shopping and organising a household, that distinction could make a significant difference.
One reason, Simpson says, is the expectation around food. Simpson says she found that homes in India collect much more dust than her home in New Zealand, meaning surfaces need to be cleaned more frequently. she has found that buying fresh ingredients several times a week is more common in India While she says she used to do most of her grocery shopping once a week in New Zealand.
