Working Girls

A humorous yet raw and unflinching look at women’s labour in India – from the various forms of work tied to marriage and its margins, to sex work, erotic dancing, surrogacy and egg donation, paid domestic labour, and unpaid domestic and care work.

The film brings together these seemingly disparate forms of women’s reproductive labour, revealing how differently they are regulated by law while resisting stereotypical representations of women’s work.

 

Filmed in Kolkata, Mumbai, Shillong, Latur, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, and Madurai, the film portrays erotic dancers who consciously assert control over their own lives, sex workers organising and taking collective action, ASHA workers protesting, domestic workers forming trade unions, and women across India striving to make a living within a society that places limits on their choices.

With sharp humour, a powerful soundtrack, and an in-depth exploration of the history of law and gender, Working Girls challenges dominant ideas about work, its value, and its visibility. Made in collaboration with the Laws of Social Reproduction project, the film builds on the research developed within the project and invites us to rethink what work actually is – and who gets to be recognised as a worker.

Screening with audio description.
Age rating: 16+