Governments Should Ratify Domestic Workers Treaty

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(New York, June 11, 2013) – Governments should mark June 12, 2013, the World Day against Child Labor, by strengthening legal protections for the 15.5 million child domestic workers worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments should ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention, which has specific provisions for children, including on education and protection from violence.
This year’s theme for the World Day against Child Labor is “no child labor in domestic work.” The ILO estimates that children make up nearly 30 percent of domestic workers worldwide and that 73 percent of them are girls.
“To eliminate child labor, governments cannot ignore the children working in private homes,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Many of these children are paid a pittance, if at all, and often suffer abuse and overwork. Governments can help these children by ratifying the Domestic Workers Convention.”
By ratifying the treaty, governments can help end child domestic labor, Human Rights Watch said. They can also ensure that those who are old enough to work enjoy the same rights as other workers, such as a day off and a minimum wage.

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