New Delhi: In her new book A Woman’s Job: Making Middle Lives in New India, researcher and author Asiya Islam explores how young lower-middle-class women in Delhi’s emerging service economy are reshaping the meaning of work, class, and agency. She argues that while India celebrates its “New Middle Class” as a marker of progress, women’s experiences reveal the persistence of deep inequalities rooted in gender, class, and caste.
Speaking about her research, Islam explains that these women, working in cafes, malls, call centres, and small offices, appear to embody the success of post-liberalisation India. Yet, their daily struggles tell another story. Many face harassment, poor working conditions, and limited career growth. Frequent job changes and domestic expectations keep them in unstable “jobs” rather than long-term “careers.”
Islam introduces the concept of “middleness” to describe how women navigate contradictions between tradition and modernity. They wear professional clothes yet avoid being labelled “fast-forward.” They value education and independence but also balance family pressures. Their choices, she argues, are neither purely rebellious nor submissive, but strategic ways of asserting dignity within restrictive structures.
Her study also highlights how social hierarchies shape workplace experiences. A Hindi-medium graduate from a working-class background lacks the social capital to access multinational jobs, often ending up in low-paid service work. Islam stresses the need for policy reforms ensuring fair wages, better working conditions, and recognition of women’s unpaid domestic labour.
She concludes that women’s invisible contributions sustain India’s economy, yet remain undervalued in both homes and workplaces. Recognising and addressing this imbalance, she says, is essential for genuine gender justice in New India.
