London, United Kingdom, 6 December 2021 — To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Domestic Workers Convention (C189), this International Human Rights Day - 10 December - the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) will release its new report: Domestic Work is Work: Using ILO Convention 189 to Protect Workers’ Rights Across the Commonwealth.

The rights of domestic workers are under threat, now more than ever. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how vital care work is. Yet domestic workers – mostly women – have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. It impacted job security for millions of domestic workers, demonstrated their lack of access to social protections, and put them at greater risk of abuse, exploitation and trafficking. 

Ten years ago, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted Convention 189 on the rights of domestic workers. Since that groundbreaking step, 35 countries around the world have ratified the Convention, only 5 of which are in the Commonwealth. Representing a third of the world’s population, 2.4 billion people in 54 countries, the Commonwealth can lead by good practice and set an example on ratifying and implementing C189. 

The report Domestic Work is Work aims to raise awareness of the importance of ratifying C189 to ensure decent work for domestic workers – a labour force that is essential to the global economy but remains largely invisible and marginalised. The report features case studies from five Commonwealth nations that have yet to ratify C189 - the United Kingdom, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, India and Dominica – and two nations which have ratified the Convention – Jamaica and South Africa.

CHRI, with support from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Commonwealth Trade Union Group (CTUG), will launch the report at a virtual webinar on 10 December. The webinar will bring together representatives from government and civil society across the Commonwealth to discuss challenges, progress and opportunities towards achieving protections for domestic workers worldwide.

Speakers will include:

Guy Ryder, Director General, International Labour Organisation

Myrtle Witbooi, President, International Domestic Workers Federation, South Africa 

The Honourable Karl Samuda, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica

Bwiite Lydia, Director of Programme, Platform for Labour Action, Uganda

Avril Sharp, Policy and Casework Officer, Kalayaan, UK

 

Click here to register for the webinar on 10 December.

The report Domestic Work is Work will be released on 10 December 2021         

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For more information, please contact:

Rowen Siemens
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, London Office
rowen@humanrightsinitiative.org