International Women’s Day 2025
This March 8th, the IDWF honors women domestic workers and reaffirms its commitment to continue fighting for them to fully exercise their rights in all areas of society, including the world of work and leadership spaces. Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in light of the dramatic impact of current global crises on gender equality and the rights of the most vulnerable women, we call on decision-makers to put an end to all forms of discrimination, violence, and abuse domestic workers face, ensuring they can enjoy their fundamental rights as workers, as established by ILO Convention 189. Not one step back!
Nearly 80% of domestic workers (DWs) worldwide are women. Globally, one in twelve women is engaged in domestic work. Most of them belong to the most marginalized groups of the population and endure multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, skin color, nationality, social class, economic status, disability, and migration status, among others. The discriminatory treatment and lack of equality they experience manifest in different ways, both in law and in practice (ILO 2023):
- Exclusion from labor laws (over 36%) and social protection (over 50%).
- Precarious working conditions: More than 80% of DWs are employed informally, exposing them to all kinds of abuses and labor exploitation.
- Gender pay gap: DWs earn half the average monthly wage of other workers, a figure that drops to 35.1% for those in informal employment, perpetuating their structural poverty.
- GBV and harassment in the world of work: DWs are among the most affected workers by this phenomenon, not only due to their high-risk demographic profile but also because of the nature of domestic work, which is performed in private households, in isolation, and under a deep power imbalance with employers.
- Limited voice and representation: Barriers to exercising the right to freedom of association, organizing, and collective bargaining hinder DWs’ access to leadership roles and their participation in decision-making processes. This remains one of the greatest obstacles to achieving decent work and equality, which are essential for economic and social justice.
Multiple crises affecting the world threaten the progress made on women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by 189 governments in 1995. In 2025—marking the 30th anniversary of the most progressive global initiative for gender equality and with only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals—this is a turning point: we cannot wait another three decades to respond to the needs and ensure the rights of those who have historically been left behind.
The 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69/Beijing+30), which will take place from March 10 to 21 in New York, is an opportunity to urge Member States to fulfill their commitments under the 2030 Agenda, placing equality and dignity for domestic workers at the center.
It is time to implement transformative actions to:
- Combat discrimination, stereotypes, and all structural barriers that hinder the development, progress, and equal participation of DWs in all areas of society.
- Eradicate all forms of violence and harassment against DWs in the workplace, starting with the ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 190 and the adoption of specific policies to end this scourge in the domestic work sector.
- Eliminate forced labor and child labor in the sector. Efficient labor inspection of domestic work is crucial to fostering fair and safe work environments, as well as to discouraging informal employment.
- Ensure decent work for DWs: Ratify and implement ILO Convention 189; adopt national laws and policies that protect DWs on equal terms with other workers and enable their full access to social security; promote formalization. Women’s labor rights are human rights!
- Advance gender equality in domestic work: Equal pay and equal working conditions for work of equal value (this includes migrant DWs and DWs in informal employment).
- Recognize care as a human right and a public good: Invest in comprehensive, universal, and gender-responsive care and social protection systems that include DWs as part of the care workforce and as women workers with the right to receive quality care for themselves and their families.
- Guarantee DWs’ right to organize and bargain collectively as a fundamental step towards balancing power and achieving gender equity in the world of work.
- Ensure DWs’ equal access to education, professional training, public services, resources, and development opportunities, promoting their economic empowerment and autonomy.
- Protect migrant DWs’ labor and human rights, both by law and in practice, throughout their migration process (recruitment, transit, employment in the destination country, and return to the country of origin).
“Before, domestic workers used to dream in shades of gray and black. But today, the horizon is clearer than ever: we know what we want, why we want it, and when we want it. Because we are part of the system that keeps the world running, we are part of the change, we are part of sustainability. That is why today, we dream in color—with all the opportunities life can offer us and that governments are obligated to uphold.”
Ruth DÃaz, Member of the IDWF Executive Committee representing Latin America
Domestic workers are vital agents for sustainable development. Ensuring their equal rights and opportunities is essential for economic growth, social cohesion, democracy, and peace. We must act now to build an equal world where their voices are heard and their rights are respected. Let’s take forward the Beijing+30 Action Agenda. This is our moment!
#InternationalWomensDay
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