The Global Governance of Domestic Work

Paid domestic and care-related work in the household — the provision of in-home household services such as cleaning and taking care of dependent children, disabled family members, or the elderly — has long been an unregulated form of labour in most countries. Domestic workers, mostly women, often migrants and from racial or ethnic minorities, have been excluded from some or all employment and labour legislation and social security schemes, and are mostly not covered by collective agreements. Domestic work around the globe is characterized by low levels of regulation, low wages, long working hours and difficult working conditions (ILO, 2013).