{"id":2507,"date":"2020-05-05T18:31:50","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T18:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/research.american.edu\/careworkeconomy\/?p=2507"},"modified":"2020-12-28T19:29:23","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T19:29:23","slug":"domestic-and-care-workers-under-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.american.edu\/careworkeconomy\/blog\/2020\/05\/05\/domestic-and-care-workers-under-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Domestic and Care Workers Under COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

By definition, domestic workers are an essential part of the global care workforce. According to the ILO, there are 70 million domestic workers over the age of 15 working directly for private households. They therefore make up roughly 22.7% of the global care workforce (which number 308,6 million).[1]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0Since its foundation in 2013, the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) has worked with global unions and key audiences with the aim of including home care workers into the global agenda on “care” and to fight for the improvement of their living and working conditions.<\/p>\n

Work in the care sector changes rapidly due to aging populations in the west and the more industrialized part of Asia. Financial demands on families who rely on unpaid care work, or the reliance by governments on private and not-for-profit sectors to play an increasing role in providing services. In Asia, most governments deny labour rights and working conditions,\u00a0 particularly for migrant workers, In the west, there is an increasing number of undocumented migrant domestic workers and they do not enjoy labour rights protection due to their vulnerable status.\u00a0 In recognition of the challenges in care work, in 2018 the IDWF Congress adopted two Resolutions<\/a> (No. 3 & 4) to guide the Federation\u2019s work and address global demands on developing inclusive care systems, special protection programs, and special attention to undocumented and migrant worker\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

The new coronavirus pandemic has impacted all regions for more than three months. Domestic, household and care workers are on the frontlines in keeping families and communities healthy, but they are also most at risk. COVID19 has increased the vulnerability of the sector, which is already and broadly characterized by lack of protections, social security or recognition in many places of the world.<\/p>\n

The IDWF consists of 74 affiliates in 57 countries, representing almost 600,000 domestic workers. Since the pandemic began, the IDWF has been actively engaging with affiliates in all regions to monitor the situation on the ground. In many countries, workers are experiencing a substantial increase in workload to ensure cleanliness and hygiene; or in taking care of older people and people with existing medical conditions.<\/p>\n

The most critical issues identified:<\/p>\n

– Domestic and care workers, especially the live-out\/ part time are the most vulnerable group. They cannot move around and lose their jobs due to the lockdowns and social distancing rules, or their employers no longer call them in to work. Many have endured this situation for several weeks while others are losing their jobs with no prospects of finding new sources of income.<\/p>\n

-Without income, migrant workers are especially vulnerable as they try to survive in the destination countries. In many countries, migrant workers are not eligible for medical services and hence do not get COVID-19 tests, places for quarantine or medical treatment when needed.<\/p>\n

-Workers from rural areas working in the cities, cannot return to their families, or access relief packages provided by local governments.<\/p>\n

-The lack of medical and social protections benefits renders domestic and care workers unprotected even when they are sick or need to be quarantined with no remuneration. IDWF and Affiliates are monitoring the mortality rates of members, a difficult task as many governments do not test or report incidents.<\/p>\n

-Despite the essential work, domestic and care workers face increasing discrimination during the pandemic. Many workers report for being blamed for bringing the virus into their employers\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n

-The ability of domestic workers unions to keep their offices functioning is also compromised during quarantine or semi-quarantine time. Many unions are able to pay for the basic services and provide essential support (i.e. information, food baskets, training) from income previously generated. It is essential that union offices keep operating and maintaining their services for a range of situations that go from unfair dismissals to gender based violence.<\/p>\n

In this situation, most organizations have shifted or stopped normal activities. With exception to those in North America and Europe, most organizations are struggling to find ways and means to address emergencies. Some countries have included domestic workers in their relief programs while others have joined hands with allies to demand governments to give out wages \/cash, food, masks, sanitizers, places for quarantine. As the pandemic continues, so will the crisis on the ground.<\/p>\n

Based on its assessment, the IDWF will continue to do research and collect data to inform advocacy. The IDWF will also set up a solidarity fund to address some of the most critical needs to enable domestic\/care workers \u2013and their families\u2013 to cope and survive with COVID-19.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> ILO (2018), Geneva. Care Work and Care Jobs For the Future of Decent Work.<\/p>\n

Contributed by Sofia Trevino<\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0Sustainability Advisor for International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) and the Project Manager for Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)<\/p>\n

Relevant Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

IDWF: Decent work for Domestic Workers: Eight Good Practices from Asia<\/a><\/p>\n

In IDWF site, resources on care work (books, articles, websites, audio)<\/a><\/p>\n

An essay collection on Care economy: Three Years of Collective and Global Learning About Care<\/a><\/p>\n

ILO Decent Work in the Care Economy<\/a><\/p>\n

Care Needs and Migration for Domestic Work: Poland and Ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n

Migrant Domestic Workers: Promoting Occupational Safety and Health<\/a><\/p>\n

Expanding Social Security to Migrant Domestic Workers<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cA Job at Any Cost: Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East\u201d IDWF and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Research publication with six affiliates of the IDWF in Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar<\/a><\/p>\n

IDWF Resolutions adopted by the 2nd<\/sup> Congress in 2018, Cape Town, South Africa<\/a><\/p>\n

ILO: Social Protection for Domestic Workers: Key Policy Trends and Statistics<\/a><\/p>\n

ILO World of Work Magazine: Violence at Work<\/a><\/p>\n

Decent Work for Domestic Workers: Eight Good Practices from Asia, ILO and IDWF<\/a><\/p>\n

Why We Care about Care: An Online Moderated Course on Care Economy, UN Women<\/a><\/p>\n

Research Network of Domestic Workers Rights<\/a><\/p>\n

Video from BBC investigation with SANDIGAN, Affiliate of IDWF in Kuwait on closing online platforms selling domestic workers \u201cMaids for Sale: Silicon Valley\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

WIEGO:<\/strong><\/p>\n

UN High Level Panel Report on Child Care<\/a> by Rachel Moussi\u00e9, Deputy Director of WIEGO Social Protection Programme.<\/p>\n

Counting the World’s Informal Workers: A Global Snapshot<\/a><\/p>\n

Child Care & Informal Workers<\/a><\/p>\n

The ILO – WIEGO policy brief series <\/a>on childcare for informal workers<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sofia Trevino is the Sustainability Advisor for International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) and the Project Manager for Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)<\/b><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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