"මෙහෙකාරිය" ද? "ගෘහ සේවිකාව" ද?

Abstract

On May 15, 2023, Aruna, Dinamina, and Divaina newspapers reported on the death of a domestic worker held in police custody. Aruna used the more appropriate "Gruha sevikawa" (ගෘහ සේවිකාව) to refer to the domestic worker, whereas the two newspapers Dinamina and Divaina used the outdated and derogatory term "Mehekariya" (මෙහෙකාරිය) in the report. Usage of such derogatory terms in media reporting is indicative of backward social relationships and can contribute towards the loss of dignity for those who are engaged in domestic work.