Domestic slavery: what is it? – Anti-Slavery International

Domestic worker cleaning spongeI worked eighteen hours a day, seven days a week, without any rest. I worked like a slave and was treated like one.

They beat me regularly. The son of Madame tried to rape me several times. They always kept me locked inside the flat on the 13th floor.I couldnt go out for three years!

Fasika, Ethiopian former domestic worker in Lebanon.Read herfull story.

Domestic workis a sector which is particularly vulnerable to exploitation and domestic slavery because of the unique circumstances of working inside a private household combined with a lack of legal protection.

Domestic workers perform a range of tasks in private homes including: cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking care of children and the elderly and running errands. Some domestic workers also live in their employers homes and are often considered on call to undertake work for their employer 24 hoursa day.

The pay is often very low, with wage payments frequently delayed. Some domestic workers may not be paid at all or only receive payment in kind such as food or accommodation.

For some domestic workers, the circumstances and conditions of their work amount toslavery. This happens when employers stop domestic workers from leaving the house, dont pay wages, use violence or threats, withhold their identity documents, limit their contact with family and force them to work.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that at least 67 million men and women work asdomestic workersacross the world, not including children.

Women and girls make up the overwhelming majority of domestic workers, around 80%. ILO estimates that more girls under the age of 16 work in domestic service than in any other category ofchild labour.

Somedomestic workersare migrant workers from other countries or regions, mainly from rural areas to the city. For many, domestic work is one of the very few options available to enable them to provide for themselves and their families.

Domestic workis poorly regulated and undervalued. In many countries,domestic workersare not considered workers but rather as informal help and are excluded from national labour regulations.

Often they do not enjoy the same protections as other workers, such as legal contracts, minimum pay, holidays, health care, social security and maternity benefits. In countries where domestic workers are covered by national labour laws, enforcement is poor and these protections have not been translated into practice.

Anti-Slavery International was one of the first organisations to highlight the issue of domestic slavery, particularly for child domestic workers and migrant women.

In 2011 ourHome Alone campaignplayed a big part in persuading the International Labour Organization to adopt a Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which secures the rights of millions of domestic workers across the globe.

Now we work with children in domestic work in Peru, in Tanzania and with women migrating for domestic work from Nepal and Bangladesh to the Middle East, as well as those migrating within India.

We also campaigned to protect domestic workers migrating to the UKto remove visa regulations tying them to only one employer.

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Domestic slavery: what is it? - Anti-Slavery International