Implementation of international labour standards for domestic workers

ILO What Works Research Brief No. 9

There are approximately 67 million domestic workers worldwide, the clear majority of whom (80 per cent) are women. Many domestic workers, if not most, come from disadvantaged social groups, making them particularly vulnerable to discrimination and abuse at work.1 In 2011, to address these concerns, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) and Recommendation, 2011 (No. 201). These instruments seek to ensure that the fundamental protections afforded to other workers are also extended to domestic workers.