International Domestic Workers’ Day 2025

Observed every year on June 16, International Domestic Workers’ Day honors the tireless contributions of domestic workers who provide essential care and support in households across the globe. This day marks the adoption of ILO Convention 189 (C189) in 2011, which established for the first time international labor standards for domestic work. In 2025, as the day is commemorated once again, the global community is being urged to translate this commitment into action—ensuring decent work, dignity, and rights for all domestic workers.

Why in the News?

This year’s observance is particularly significant as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) renews its urgent call to governments to ratify and fully implement ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, and ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment. Despite progress—39 countries have ratified C189—millions of domestic workers still endure low pay, long hours, lack of protection, and exploitation, especially migrant and informal workers.

Background

• ILO Convention 189 was adopted on June 16, 2011, thanks to a global movement led by domestic workers themselves, especially through the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF).
• The convention recognized for the first time that domestic work is real work, deserving of the same labor rights as all other sectors.
• It was a landmark victory in a long history of advocacy, rooted in the struggles of mostly women workers, many of whom are migrants, employed in private households without basic protections.

Significance

• Domestic workers form the backbone of household care worldwide, enabling others to work and economies to function. Yet they remain among the most vulnerable, often excluded from labour laws, social protection, and union rights.
• Their invisibility has deepened during crises—from COVID-19 to the current cost-of-living crisis—leaving them disproportionately affected. Violence, harassment, and anti-migrant policies further endanger their livelihoods and dignity.
• The 2025 call to action is clear: the rights of domestic workers must be respected, protected, and fulfilled.

Key Demands and Actions

This year, the ITUC, alongside domestic workers’ unions and the IDWF, is urging governments to,

• Ratify and implement ILO C189 and C190 effectively.
• Ensure legal protections for all domestic workers, regardless of migration status.
• Extend social security and formal employment recognition.
• Guarantee the right to unionize and bargain collectively.
• Recognize care as a human right and a public good, and increase public investment in care services, following the 2024 ILO Care Resolution.