All publications: domestic workers

Research Brief

Disability rights and domestic work in ASEAN

In 2023 the ILO TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme conducted a study about the skills and working conditions of migrant domestic workers in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the findings from which were published in the report Skilled to care, forced to...

Experiences on training and certification for care work in Latin America

Guide for the national debate on the incorporation or improvement of training and certification services for care in early childhood,...

Organizing domestic workers

Talking to trade unions/ affiliates/ members about domestic work

This guide, developed in conjunction with the ASEAN Trade Union Council, equips advocates and champions to answer the questions often heard when talking to trade unions and trade union members about organizing more domestic workers and working...

Organizing domestic workers

Talking to service providers about domestic work

This guide, developed in conjunction with the ASEAN Trade Union Council, equips advocates and champions to answer the questions often heard when talking to service providers about improving their services for domestic workers. It also gives the...

Organizing domestic workers

Talking to policy makers / politicians about domestic work

This guide, developed in conjunction with the ASEAN Trade Union Council, equips advocates and champions to answer the questions often heard when talking to parliamentarians and policy makers about improving protection for domestic workers. It also...

TRIANGLE in ASEAN

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour: A review of the implementation of Recommendations (3rd to 14th Forums)

This report is the sixth in a series of progress review background papers, biennially prepared by the ILO’s TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, that track the progress of ASEAN stakeholders in implementing recommendations adopted at previous AFMLs.

Review of National Social Protection Legislation and Legal Frameworks for Migrant Workers in the Gulf Countries

Extending social protection to migrant workers in the Gulf Countries

Domestic workers

Skilled to care, forced to work? Recognizing the skills profiles of migrant domestic workers in ASEAN amid forced labour and exploitation

This study presents up-to-date findings on the lived experiences of migrant domestic workers in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It takes a quantitative and qualitative approach to understanding the skills profiles of migrant domestic workers...

The road to decent work for domestic workers

Domestic workers

Policy review on social security for domestic workers in Thailand

This policy review focuses on the legal framework around domestic work and barriers, profile of domestic work in Thailand, challenges for domestic workers to access social protection and possible means to address them, and the ILO’s recommendations...

Guidance note: Wage protection for migrant workers

Domestic Workers

Protection in Practice: Challenges and perceptions of domestic workers accessing social protection in Thailand

Women migrant workers

Media representation of women migrant workers: A critical look

The study reviews how overseas women migrant workers are characterized in print and electronic media in accordance with gender, class and geographic stereotypes. It critically assesses how women's multiple roles as workers, earners, investors,...

Domestic workers

Reproducing a household: Recognizing and assessing paid and unpaid domestic work in urban India

This study report is an important contribution towards understanding employers’ perspectives, by recognising and assessing the paid and unpaid domestic work that goes into reproducing a household.

Domestic workers

Employer practices and perceptions on paid domestic work: Recruitment, employment relationships, and social protection

This study report is an important contribution towards understanding employers’ perceptions, rationale and bases that underlie how employers in urban India engage, value, and perceive domestic work.

Domestic workers

Deficits in decent work: Employer perspectives and practices on the quality of employment in domestic work in urban India

This study report contributes towards understanding employers’ perspectives on existing working conditions and practices relating to recruitment, income security, employment security and social security available to domestic workers.

Domestic workers

Methods for spatial sampling of urban neighbourhoods by socio-economic status in Indian cities

This brief note lays out an approach to neighbourhood selection and houselisting for large surveys in urban cities. This approach was used for a multiple round household survey in two India cities using quantitative and qualitative research methods...

Women migrant workers

Rebels, victims, agents of change: The singular histories of women migrant workers

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to shed light on how women view their migration and work abroad. The findings challenge conventional narratives on labour migration of women and bring out important perspectives that invaluably inform...

Module 16

Labour inspection in domestic work