Latest Updates
India: "Decent Work for Domestic Workers": All India Jingle Writing Competition
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 09, 2017 11:40 PMILO launches a jingle competition to recognize ‘Domestic Work is Work”. This competition is organized by the ‘Work in Freedom Programme’ of the International Labour Organization.
Global: International guidelines are one path to pushing for decent living and working conditions of migrants - report on the Regional Consultation on the UN Compact on Migration
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 28, 2017 06:36 PMUpdates on the UN Global Compact for Migration - A report on the Asian Regional Consultation, Bangkok-Thailand, August 4 & 5, 2017
Asia & Middle East: IDWF participated in the inter-regional tripartite expert forum
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 23, 2017 05:23 PMIDWF participated in the inter-regional tripartite expert forum on skills and migration in the South Asia – Middle East corridor on 25-26 July.
Mexico: SINACTRAHO begins a collective contract campaign
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 28, 2017 06:40 PMCollective Agreement Campaign Launched to ensure domestic workers will have minimum wage, social security and other rights.
India: Justice for Sabina
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 23, 2017 03:28 PMOn January 29, 2014, a gruesome and shocking incident took place in Gurugram, where a 14-year-old domestic worker named Sabina Khatun’s body was found hanging in her employer's house. Gharelu Kamgar Sanghatan is determined to bring justice to Sabina and challenge the habitual practice of miscarriage of justice in rape cases in Haryana.
Spain: Grupo Turin delivered 100,000 signatures urging for ratification of C189
— by IDWFED — last modified Jul 14, 2017 05:33 PMOn July 13, the Grupo Turin delivered 100,000 signatures collected to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security collected online.
India: A domestic worker was allegedly beaten up by her employer, leading to protests by her villagers
— by IDWFED — last modified Jul 17, 2017 05:51 PMResidents of an apartment complex in Noida woke up to a riot-like situation on Wednesday morning, when a mob stormed its gates and vandalised the premises alleging that one of its residents had assaulted a domestic worker.
Global: Join WIEGO's campaign for quality public child care for all workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 25, 2017 10:14 PMWIEGO is launching this campaign to draw attention to child care as a workers' rights issue that impacts all workers, but is particularly important for informal women workers. We see quality public child care as a core component of any social protection system.
Jamaica: Shirley Pryce is CARICOM "Woman of the Year"
— by IDWFED — last modified Jul 14, 2017 05:11 PMShirley Pryce, also a leader of the IDWF, member of our Executive Committee. She is a fighter and determined leader. She truly deserves this award and our sincere congratulations!
Global: Thousands of domestic workers celebrated the International Domestic Workers Day on June 16
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 28, 2017 06:32 PMThousands of domestic workers celebrated the International Domestic Workers Day on June 16
Canada: Caregivers Speak Out! International Domestic Workers Day 2017
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 29, 2017 06:13 PMSince the early 1900s when women began migrating to Canada to work as caregivers, we have been organizing. And we will continue organizing until Canada ratifies ILO Convention 189, until caregivers have permanent residency status upon arrival, and until all caregivers are treated with respect and dignity.
Global: Domestic Workers Speak - A global struggle for rights and recognition (video)
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 21, 2017 06:07 PMInternational Domestic Workers Rights Day – June 16 – celebrates the 67 million mainly women workers who do the behind the scenes work to keep our lives, societies and economies functioning.
Dominican Republic: Campaigning for implementation of C189 on June 16
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 28, 2017 06:37 PMCampaigning for implementation of C189 In Dominican Republic, IDWF affiliate Asociación de Trabajadoras del Hogar (ATH), organized a group of 150 people on 16 June to protest and remind the government of domestic workers rights as set on C189.
Italy: Myrtle Witbooi's Speech at the DomEQUAL EVENT on Anti-Racist & Feminist Movements
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 29, 2017 06:16 PMDomEQUAL EVENT SERIES Venice Symposium #2 - The Global Fight For Domestic Workers’ Rights
Nicaragua: LGBTI Labor Inclusion convening
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 23, 2017 05:06 PMIn June, the First Latin American and Carribean Forum on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Labor Inclusion was held in Managua, Nicaragua.
Global: International Domestic Workers Day June 16 2017, the IDWF calls for "All for one, One for all: Dignity and Decent Work for all National, Migrant and Refugee Domestic Workers"
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 17, 2017 10:20 PMIn 2017, 21.3 million people worldwide are refugees displaced from their homelands. One of the few employment options available to women (and girl) refugees, who account for 50 per cent of this population, is domestic work. The sector – loosely regulated and with limited barriers to entry – attracts many refugees who otherwise find it difficult to obtain work permits and to have their degrees and qualifications recognized.
USA: Nevada Becomes the 8th State to Pass a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 25, 2017 09:43 PMOn June 12, 2017, Nevada passed Domestic Worker Bill of Rights SB 232 into law!
Global: 2017 June 16 Resources Highlight
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 21, 2017 06:08 PMIn honor of International Domestic Workers Day (IDWD) we want to share these resources:
Latin America: Migrant Domestic Workers in Latin America
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 13, 2017 12:12 AMInternational Domestic Workers Day is a celebration of a movement that seeks to secure the rights of this growing but generally hidden workforce. IDWF and its affiliates, together with a global network of organizations that work to protect migrant workers, join forces and develop different actions, services, research and resources in their efforts to guarantee the human rights of all domestic workers; independently of their nationality or immigration status.
India: The flip side of development – displacement and migration
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 12, 2017 02:35 PMMore and more of us work on migration or with migrant workers these days. We also know that the migrant workers get the worst deal even in sectors where other local workers may have more decent working conditions.
Europe: IDWF at the ILO
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 14, 2017 07:07 PMSeveral IDWF leaders from the ExCo, staff, and affiliates are participating now in the International Labour Conference discussions on labour migration, governance, and fair recruitment, ensuring the realities and needs of migrant domestic workers are addressed. Of particular concern are undocumented migrant workers, among them many domestic workers.
Belgium: IDWF receiving the Sr Jeanne Devos Award
— by IDWFED — last modified Aug 28, 2017 06:29 PMIDWF received the Sr. Jeanne Devos Award 2017 from the ACV-CSC Service Union at its 32nd Congress in June this year.
USA: "When there is an extreme power imbalance, people—particularly women—are vulnerable to slavery."
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 13, 2017 12:35 AMLast month an article entitled “My Family's Slave,” published in the magazine The Atlantic, went viral on social media in the US and Philippines. The article was written by a man whose family enslaved a domestic worker for decades.
Uganda: Ugandan Migrant Domestic Workers - Challenges and organizing successes
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 12, 2017 11:04 PMIn 2016 HTS-Union (UHFTAWU) ran radio campaigns on domestic workers that was not limited to locals, but also migrant domestic workers. As a result over 67 local domestic workers have contacted the union for assistance and guidance while migrant domestic workers have been rescued from forced labour and abusive employment.
Spain: Sign Petition for C189 Ratification
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 12, 2017 11:58 PMThe campaign for C189 ratification is underway in Spain, by Grupo Turin. Please sign this petition to lend our international support!
India: "Unity is power" - Residents of Mumbai gated complex sack domestic workers who protested "rate card"
— by IDWFED — last modified Jun 05, 2017 04:28 PMAround 200 workers staged a three-day strike after residents of a development in Chandivali unilaterally fixed wages at a level they believed was unfair.
Senegal: Conference of domestic unions On the Ratification Strategy of Convention C189
— by IDWFED — last modified May 31, 2017 11:09 PMUnder the auspices of the trade unions of domestic workers, a conference on the strategy to be adopted for the ratification of Convention C189 was held on Saturday 20 May 2017 at the Douta SECK Cultural House.
Indonesia: Respecting the role of Domestic Workers in Indonesia through Legal Protection
— by IDWFED — last modified May 18, 2017 05:22 PMThe perception of domestic work as easy and not valuable must change. The absence of legal protection for DWs allows employers to hire DWs for as low a wage as possible. There is an urgent need to formalize this relationship between employer and domestic worker, and to implement specific laws to protect the rights of DWs, since both employer and DWs are mutually in need of one other.
IDWF Statement on the May Day 2017: Uniting for a World of Democracy, Human Rights and Social Justice for all
— by IDWFED — last modified May 01, 2017 01:34 AMInternational Workers' Day, celebrated on the First of May, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world.
Asia: IDWF piloted a strategic planning Training-of-Trainers, followed by a 3-month practicum
— by IDWFED — last modified May 02, 2017 01:22 PMIDWF piloted a strategic planning Training-of-Trainers in Asia, followed by a 3-month practicum where participants put what they had learned into practice in their organizations.