Domestic workers are essential

On International Domestic Workers Day on June 16, we marked 14 years since the adoption of the landmark ILO Convention No 189 on Domestic Workers, a global commitment to uphold the rights and dignity of those who perform paid work in private homes.

- Kaori Nakamura-Osaka

It affirmed what should be obvious: domestic workers are workers, and they deserve the same protections, wages and respect afforded to any other occupation.

Yet, even today, this simple truth is too often ignored.

Across Asia, the pressures of our time are mounting. We are living through a period of overlapping crises: rising geopolitical tensions, record-breaking extreme weather events, spiralling living costs and deepening social inequality.

These disruptions have made clear that domestic work is essential. It is the invisible infrastructure that keeps households — and by extension, societies — functioning. In moments of disaster, it becomes a vital lifeline.

During the 2024 floods in the Mekong Subregion, domestic workers were the ones scrubbing mud from flooded homes. In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand in March, it was domestic workers who helped household members evacuate to safety. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic workers provided vital support to families caring for the sick, elderly and young.