Domestic workers perform a range of tasks for and in other people’s households. They may cook, clean and wash the laundry, and look after children, the elderly or persons with disability. They may work as gardeners, guardians or family chauffeurs. Most of them are women. They are often excluded, de jure or de facto, from labour and social protection. Part of the reason for this is that domestic work takes place in the home and involves, to a large extent, tasks that women have traditionally carried out without pay.
However, there has been increasing recognition, nationally and internationally, of the economic and social contribution of domestic workers and of the need to improve their living and working conditions. Towards this end, a number of countries have put in place or are formulating legal and policy measures on domestic work.
The specific characteristics of domestic work and diversity in country situations point to the importance of innovative and creative approaches to protecting domestic workers while responding to the needs of employing households. To support initiatives in this regard, TRAVAIL is generating and sharing information on patterns and conditions of domestic work, as well as on country perspectives and experiences through policy briefs, factsheets, technical papers and other tools for policy guidance.
At the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO), government, worker and employer delegates adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working and living conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide. The new standards are Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers.
