Decent Work for Domestic Workers: Towards the Ratification of ILO Convention 189 in Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Decent Work for Domestic Workers: Towards the Ratification of ILO Convention 189 in Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Domestic work – e. g. providing care and cleaning to families and households – is an important occupation and source of revenue for millions of people around the world. A majority of those domestic workers are women and migrant workers. In Europe, demographic factors (i.e. growing number of older people) and changing patterns of employment (i.e. more women working outside the household), have produced an increasing demand for domestic work, notably in the area of personal care. In turn, this has resulted in decent work for domestic workers becoming a more important issue in Europe.

With their services, these domestic workers - often invisible, denied their fundamental rights and without social protection coverage - provide a considerable contribution to wealth and well-being.