domestic workers: decent work for all – south africa - Solidar

The ILO accepts that domestic work is an important occupation for millions of individuals
worldwide, absorbing up to 10% of total employment in some countries. However, this work is
undervalued and poorly regulated. Research by Human Rights Watch on domestic work in
twenty countries confirms that domestic workers are among the most exploited and abused
workers in the world. 7 Predominantly (though not exclusively) women and girls, they often
experience working conditions that fall far short of international standards, including low and
irregular pay, excessively long hours of work, lack of rest periods and exclusion from social
protection such as social security and maternity benefits. 8 Domestic workers may also face
physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, food deprivation, forced confinement and trafficking
into forced labour. These risks are heightened as a result of their isolation in private
households, the imbalance of power between employer and worker, lack of information or ability
to seek help, and financial pressures and debts that make them afraid to lose their
employment. 9
Historical background
Prior to the 20th century, ―servants‖ and workers in many countries had little or no protection in
law. The only real advantage that domestic service provided was the provision of meals and
accommodation, and sometimes clothes, in addition to the modest wage. Also, it was in some
cases an ―apprentice‖ system with room for advancement through the ranks. However, it was
also perilous, particularly for females, as there was little protection from abuse, including sexual
exploitation, by unscrupulous employers or other members of the family.
In a country such as Britain this system peaked towards the close of the Victorian era, perhaps
reaching its most complicated and rigidly structured state during the early 1900s, which
reflected the limited social mobility of the time. In much of the former colonial and developing
world systems of domestic employment have remained entrenched to this day, while new
patterns of migration of mainly female domestic workers from these countries to developed
countries have emerged in recent decades.
Why women work as domestic workers
A combination of push and pull factors contribute to women entering domestic work, either in
their own countries or abroad. Rural poverty has increased in many countries due to structural
adjustment programmes, devastation of the agricultural sector, economic crises and other
factors. 10 This has pushed many women and girls into the domestic labour market. With few
formal jobs available and faced with gender discrimination, often coupled with discrimination
based on caste or class, race or ethnicity, their options for decent work are limited. And, as
most are from poor households, they often have low levels of education and few marketable
skills other than housekeeping and caring for others. Cleaning, cooking and looking after
children and the elderly is almost universally regarded as women's work, which means that men
rarely compete with women in this job market. Domestic work is, therefore, one of the few
employment opportunities open to poor women.
Migrant workers
Over the past three decades the proportion of women among international migrant workers has
increased significantly. Women now make up approximately half of the estimated 200 million
migrants worldwide, with women and girl domestic workers an important part of this group. 11 In
many countries, however, lack of formal skills makes it impossible for migrant domestic workers
to obtain work permits, thus reducing them to undocumented status and practically excluding
them from the protection of the law. 12 In addition, research has revealed that many migrant
domestic workers in western countries are skilled professionals who downsize their expertise
after migrating because their skills may not be formally recognised. However, forced to leave
7 Swept Under the Rug: Abuses Against Domestic Workers Throughout the World Human Rights Watch 27 July 2006;
available at http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2006/07/27/swept-under-rug-0.
8 The ILO Report (n 1) 7.
9 Trafficking, forced labour and exploitation of migrant domestic workers in the UK Antislavery 2007; available at
www.antislavery.org. Accessed 18 January 2010.
10 Human Rights Watch (n 7), p16.
11 Manual for domestic workers organising for a better future 2007 Committee for Asian Women (CAW)
12 Kalayaan (2009) Kalayaan: justice for migrant domestic workers. Available at www.kalayaan.org.uk [accessed 10
January 2010].
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