Background

• Domestic work, which is rooted in the global history of slavery, colonialism and other forms of servitude, is one of the oldest and most important occupations for millions of people around the world. While the sector is dominated by women/girl, it also involves man/boys. In contemporary society, care work at home is vital for the economy outside the household to function. In the past two decades demand for care work has been on the rise everywhere. The massive incorporation of women in the labour force, the aging of societies, the intensification of work and the frequent lack or inadequacy of policy measures to facilitate the reconciliation of family life and work underpin this trend.
• Nowadays, domestic workers make up a large portion of the workforce, especially in developing countries, and their number has been increasing – even in the industrialized world. It clearly reflects their contribution towards economic. Domestic workers have substantially contributed to a sustained labour force through the subsistence economic works in the households, which in turn allowing country’s economic growth. Domestic workers also take a critical contribution to allow the citizen working in various sectors either public or private. They also contribute to the development of women’s role in economic sectors: women are more involved in the world of work, they also make more increasing paid job opportunities for women and men workers with family responsibilities.
• In relations with the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers (DWDWs), the ILO is developing and implementing a Project called RPOMOTE which promotes the realization of DWDWs as a means to reduce child domestic labour. The Project works to increase the knowledge, skills and expertise on reducing child domestic workers and promote DWDWs of the domestic workers organizations, with a main focus on Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country and home to millions of child and adult domestic workers. Effectiveness in Indonesia will undoubtedly reach large numbers and have a ripple effect on policy development in the region, especially in ASEAN.
• Issues on protection of domestic workers and the elimination of child domestic workers should be widely disseminated to various stakeholders, including the public at large, as part of the efforts to raise the awareness and realize decent work for domestic workers. To date, information related to the protection of domestic workers are still dominated and limited by abused and exploitative cases and stories. The realization of decent work for domestic workers should also be dominated by coverages on the recognition of domestic workers as workers.
• Therefore, it is important to build the capacity of stakeholders of domestic worker organizations (i.e. DW Organizations, DW Union, Trade Union, DW organizer) effectively communicate to public at large. Among the efforts to be achieved is engagement with conventional media such as newspaper, television, radio, etc. as well as social media. It is expected that active-productive involvement of those domestic workers advocates with mass media and social media will result the bigger domestic workers “appearance” in media, which in turn will open the public eye about acknowledgement of domestic workers as worker and the decent work promotion.

Objectives

• To build the capacity of domestic workers organizations in effective media engagement by better understanding regarding types of media and reporting needs of each media (print, audio visual, on line and so forth), information management and development in the format of press release, the organization of press conference, articles writing and tips in handling media interviews.
• To build the capacity of domestic workers organizations in maximizing the usage of social media in campaigns on decent work for domestic workers and the elimination of child domestic workers.
• To build a broader network and interaction between domestic workers organizations and mass media organizations, particularly through social media outlets in widely disseminating the key message on the protection of domestic workers to the public at large.

Strategies

• Prior to media training, participants are required to formulate a draft press release and an opinion editorial article that will be reviewed by the trainers/resource persons. The results of the reviews will be further discussed with the participants during the media training.
• AJI will conduct a pre assessment using a questioner posing questions related to communications and media engagement activities that have been conducted by the participants, their knowledge on media tools and social media and the existence of social media channels (personal and/or organization).
• Introduction to basic communications information on news value, media needs, how different types of media work: print, audio, audiovisual and online.
• Introduction on ways to interact with media using press release and effective press conference, including opinion editorial articles.
• Introduction to social media and how to maximize the usage, i.e online advocacy online change.org, blogging Kompasiana, Facebook and Twitter.
• Introduction and practical exercise on how to deal with media interviews.
• Support after training given by ILO and AJI for participants in further development of their communications works. For example: inputs for press release or article development.