Decent work for domestic workers can’t wait

Fifteen years ago on this day, on a sunny June day in Switzerland, millions of domestic workers worldwide gained the recognition they had long deserved. The adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), during the International Labour Conference in Geneva was a landmark moment, one that recognized domestic work as work like any other and affirmed that domestic workers are entitled to the same rights and protections as other workers. Domestic work ers play a critical role in sustaining families, societies and economies. They clean homes, cook meals, guard households and tend to gardens. They also care for children, older persons and persons with disabilities in need of care and support. In the fifteen years since its adoption, there are better protections for domestic workers in several countries. By 2021, there had been a 15-percentage point increase in the number of domestic workers recognized under labour laws. Yet despite this progress, millions remain excluded from labour rights, social protection and decent working conditions. Characterized by its informality, domestic work also puts workers at risk of workplace injuries, illness and lack of financial security in old age. Today, protecting domestic workers is more urgent than ever. Demand for care and domestic work is growing worldwide, driven by demographic change and increased participation of women in the labour force. Yet millions of domestic workers continue to face insecure working conditions, inadequate protection and limited access to social security. In Pakistan, domestic workers are among the most informal and vulnerable segments of the workforce, in a labour market where more than 72 per cent of non-agricultural workers are employed informally. Women are disproportionately represented in both paid and unpaid domestic work, accounting for most workers in the sector. As the backbone of the care economy, domestic workers play a critical role in supporting households, communities and the b