An interplay of paid, unpaid work and COVID-19 and its impact on the psychological well-being of women chikankarigars of Lucknow are central to this paper. My doctoral thesis, (which is not focused on the theme) fieldwork grabbed my attention on the idea since I was there in the field even after the second wave of COVID-19 (2021-22). I found different perceptions, challenges, strategies of women chikankari artisans about their work and daily life. They were less confident, more worried and concerned about the future of their families. From this vantage point I conceptualised this small, focused study about the women chikankarigar’s psychological well-being after the COVID-19 crisis in India.
This study intends to understand how adjustment and negotiation between paid chikankari work and unpaid household work changed during the pandemic, the interrelation between unavailability of chikankari work and the threat of COVID-19, Women artisans’ psychological well-being at the intersect of financial loss, health crisis and domestic violence. Ten case studies of women artisans will be analysed, along with oral narratives and observation. As a secondary data source, crucial documents, reports and news items will be referred to in detail. Karen Horney’s concept of Feminine Psychology, along with a feminist understanding of the Marxist theory of alienation, will be used as a theoretical framework for the study. The relevance of the study is embedded in its approach and cross-disciplined perspective.
