Domestic work is one of the oldest and for many women the most important occupation. It is a global phenomenon and in many countries indispensable for the economy outside the household to function. Domestic workers are employed for cleaning, childminding, gardening, servicing or care-taking of elderly people in all kinds of private households.

The ILO estimates that over 100 million people work in domestic services(ILO, 2008, p.13). In spite of the salience of this sector globally, data on the number of domestic workers is rare. Due to the high degree of informality of this sector of the labor market, reliable numbers are difficult to collect and compare. Nevertheless, estimates do exist.