All news: domestic workers

Gender equality

ILO held the 1st Gender and Inclusion Academy in Latin America

The ILO held the 1st Gender and Inclusion Academy in Latin America, bringing together over 130 agents of change from 17 countries. Participants addressed key issues, including gender equality in employment, care policies, gender-responsive climate...

Social protection

New ILO report highlights urgent need for improved labour and social protection for domestic workers in ASEAN

Report calls for enhanced legislative reforms and comprehensive policies to address vulnerabilities and ensure equitable rights.

Discussion on advancing care provision through cooperatives undertaken in Zimbabwe

On October 1, 2024, ILO Harare hosted a validation workshop on provision of care through cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy entities.

Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)

From Domestic Worker to Business Owner

“After the training, I found the strength and confidence to start a business again. Now with the training I acquired, I made a market plan, researched where to open it, what my loss and profit would be, and a plan for the next five years. I believe...

Empowering women

Baking Hope: How Amane found a new path to change her life

The ILO Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme's Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Life Skills, and Financial Literacy trainings not only equipped Amane with valuable business skills but also boosted her...

Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training by the ILO BRMM Programme

Fashioning her Future: Nebiyat's story

When Nebiyat was accepted into the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training program, her life changed drastically. Initially, her motivation was a mix of curiosity and a desire to learn more about starting a business. The orientation session...

Caring for the carers and the community: Gender-transformative decent work solution

WISC Consultation highlights achievements, creates roadmap for future of worker support

The WISC initiative from the COVID-19 pandemic has proved beneficial in advocating for worker-centric policies and strengthening the trade union movement.

Spain regulates the safety and health in domestic work in accordance with ILO Convention 189

Royal Decree 893/2024, which regulates the protection of safety and health in the field of domestic service within the family household, develops and implements Articles 5 and 13 of ILO Convention 189, which came into force in Spain on February 29,...

Domestic workers

New rights for domestic workers in Thailand

In a significant step forward, Thailand has given domestic workers many of the same labour protections enjoyed by workers employed in other sectors. Anna Engblom, the Chief Technical Adviser of ILO’s TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, supported by the...

Forced labour

Only 1.3% of employers registered contracts for domestic workers throughout the country

The law that defines the labor status of domestic workers, and recognizes their rights and benefits, has been in force for four years, but there are still obstacles to its enforcement. These women are exposed to arbitrary dismissals, salary cuts and...

Forced Labor

Kevin Huamani Exposes the Reality of Thousands of Domestic Workers in Peru

Domestic workers

2024 Thai Regulations on Domestic Work: Are you following the law?

ILO COOP/SSE Meets with WIEGO and Global Informal Economy Worker Membership Based Organization Networks

At the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), staff from the ILO COOP/SSE Unit held a meeting with representatives of Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) and global informal economy workers’...

ILO Voices | Violence and harassment at work

I empower migrant domestic workers by sharing my experiences

As a migrant domestic worker, Win Faidah was abused by her employers. Now she works to raise awareness so that other Indonesian women have the knowledge to protect themselves from exploitation and violence in the workplace.

International Domestic Workers Day 2024

Celebrating Progress and Advocating for Rights

Kenya joined the world in marking International Domestic Workers Day. This annual observance is a pivotal moment to highlight the invaluable contributions of domestic workers globally and address the challenges they face.

Their voices, our impact

Why do women migrate?

Thousands of women migrate from India as domestic workers, to build better lives back in India. Some of these women share their stories.

Rights of domestic workers

New ILO policy brief calls for domestic workers to be included in care policies to ensure their rights at work

Domestic workers play an integral and increasing role in care provision but lack access to labour rights and social protection. Governments and social partners need to act.

Moving towards equality: The role of care work in the Latin American labour market

Analysing the intersection between gender, employment and care, the ILO presents a detailed report that calls for transformative action to redistribute care work around co-responsibility and social justice.

From Challenges to Opportunities: Entrepreneurship Training for Kenya's Returned Migrant Workers

Reinforcing the entrepreneurial and business management skills of 660 vulnerable returned migrants in Nairobi and Mombasa cities.