Working in Freedom, Mobility with Choice!

July 29

Preventing Trafficking and Forced Labour of Migrant Domestic Workers:
Progress, Challenges and Ways Forward

Global Webinar

organised by

ILO’s Work in Freedom (WIF) programme and International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF)

Monday, 29 July 2024

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Concept Note

Inspite of sustaining their families and contributing vital remittances to their home countries, migrant domestic workers continue to face significant risk of being trafficked and ending up in forced labour conditions. Children represent a significant proportion of trafficking victims worldwide, with girls being disproportionately affected with several of them trafficked into the domestic work sector. The Palermo Protocol, ILO’s core conventions and several relevant UN Conventions have underlined the importance of prevention of trafficking and promoting safe migration to ensure protection of human rights of migrant workers, including domestic workers. Yet, trafficked persons from South Asia and Sub-saharan Africa (UNODC 2022) are increasingly being identified in a wider range of destination countries, when compared from other regions.

While the adoption of ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers in June 2011 was a significant landmark in the long continuing struggle for the recognition and rights of domestic workers worldwide, much more needs to be done to address existing challenges. Ensuring access to collective bargaining, freedom of association and decent work for domestic workers can help prevent trafficking and forced labour in the sector. In observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30 and thirteen years after the adoption of C189, this global webinar jointly organised by ILO’s WIF programme and IDWF will put the spotlight on the existing situation and demands of migrant domestic workers in South Asia and West Asia with the aim to reflect on progress made towards the ratification of ILO’s core conventions including C189 and ways forward for collective strategizing.

During the 112th ILC session held in June 2024, a discussion on forced labour and care economy took place to review the challenges and progress made in the realisation of fundamental principles and rights and the relationship between the care economy and decent work. Both themes, are of immense relevance to domestic workers, especially those who are vulnerable to being trafficking into forced labour conditions to destination countries to provide essential paid care services as well as experiencing inadequate care provisioning for their own family members.

Reflections on lessons learned based on the experience of different geographical regions and context will highlight the similarities and divergences of domestic workers experiences from different corners of the globe. The webinar will draw upon domestic worker trade union representatives based in South Asia, domestic worker leaders from Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America and ILO experts working closely with constituents on promoting migrant domestic workers rights in South Asia and West Asia to enrich the discussion.

There are immense possibilities for promoting south-south cooperation to strengthen the case of migrant domestic workers in global and regional dialogues on the future of work. The webinar will provide an opportunity to brainstorm on building on cross-regional knowledge sharing and co-creating collaborative strategies to promote decent work for domestic workers.

Drawing upon lessons learned by ILO’s 10-year Work in Freedom programme (2013-24) supported by the UK FCDO on preventing trafficking and forced labour conditions for migrant domestic workers, the global webinar will discuss:

Progress made and challenges faced by migrant domestic workers in accessing trade unions and expanding spaces for collective bargaining and freedom of association.
Source, destination and fair recruitment related challenges and innovative approaches developed by ILO and IDWF
Role of knowledge-sharing, regional processes and global collaboration to galvanise support for domestic workers rights, recognising their role in the care economy and ratification campaigns of relevant ILO Conventions

More information on ILO’s Work in Freedom programme, supported by the UK FCDO, is available here.

What works and doesn’t work in implementing anti-trafficking in women programmes in countries or regions of origin of migrant women.
Lessons Learned Part 1: Outreach to migrant women in areas of origin