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Training various audiences on migrant domestic worker-related issues

Description

The ILO's Domestic Workers Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201, adopted in June 2011, recognise the economic and social value of domestic work and call for action to address the exclusion of domestic workers from labour and social protection. Given that most domestic workers are women, the standards are an important step to advance gender equality in the world of work and ensure women's equal rights and protection under the law. Following the adoption of C189 and R201, a variety of training materials have been developed to raise their visibility among a range of stakeholders. Some of these are highlighted below.

1. ILO-ACTRAV organiser's manual- In 2012, the ILO's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ILO-ACTRAV) published 'Achieving decent work for domestic workers: An organizer's manual to promote ILO Convention No. 189 and build domestic workers' power'. The manual was designed with the ultimate goal of building strong domestic workers' organisations, with two specific purposes in mind: 1) to provide guidance on how to build a campaign for the ratification and promotion of ILO Convention 189; and 2) how to effectively organise domestic workers. The first part of the manual offers ten good reasons why trade unions should be fighting for ratification and implementation. In part two, various approaches to organising are suggested, based on the experiences of domestic worker organisations and trade unions that have successfully organised and defended the rights of domestic workers. Part three then acts as a user's guide on the necessary steps that must be taken for a Convention to be ratified. The final part of the manual provides examples of victories that have resulted from successful organising around the world. At each stage, reference is made to the relevant provisions in the new instruments (the Convention and the Recommendation).

2. Training on promoting the integration of migrant domestic workers in Europe- As part of the ILO project on 'Promoting Integration for Migrant Domestic Workers in Europe', funded by the European Fund For The Integration Of Third Country Nationals, a specific training curriculum was produced with the aim of building capacities to identify integration challenges for migrant domestic workers and promote policies and programmes to overcome them. The curriculum capitalises on the project's research findings, partners' experience and expertise, as well as the 'momentum' coinciding with the adoption and ratification of Convention 189. The course, which was developed in partnership with the ILO's International Training Centre (ITC-ILO), is structured in eight modules covering and addressing key issues related to migrant domestic workers in Europe:

Module I - Overall Framework on Domestic Work
Module II - International Labour Standards relevant to Domestic Work and Migration
Module III - The European Union Framework on Labour Migration
Module IV - Effective Protection of Migrant Domestic Workers Labour Rights
Module V - European Union Integration Agenda and its Relevance for Migrant Domestic Workers
Module VI - Migrant Domestic Workers Organisation Strategies and Models
Module VII - Access to Social Security for Migrant Domestic Workers
Module VIII - Data Sources and Statistics

A learning guide was produced to accompany the modules, and a training event was organised for relevant stakeholders in Europe based on the curriculum.

3. Training material for domestic workers in Argentina- As part of the EU-funded Global Action Programme on Migrant Domestic Workers and their Families (GAP-MDW), the ILO collaborated with the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Argentina to design a capacity-building training curriculum for domestic workers, with a special focus on migrant domestic workers. The 'Trayecto formativo: Servicios en casas particulares' consists of five modules that amount to a total of about 128 hours of training. The objective is for participants to acquire transversal knowledge, skills and competencies relating to communication, problem resolution, planning, use of technology, and negotiation of working conditions, among others. Topics covered include personal interaction with young children and the elderly; caring for the infirm; as well as guidance on the execution of various housekeeping tasks. The curriculum was developed in the context of the adoption and ratification of the Convention 189 and national legislation including Law No. 26.844 of 2013, which regulates employment relationships for private home workers. GAP-MDW's project partners include UN WOMEN, the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

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last updated on 19.05.2015^ top