Strategies to tackle child labour
Addressing vulnerability and exploitation of child domestic workers: an open challenge to end a hidden shame
How to protect adult domestic workers and prevent underage worker recruitment?
Authors:
C. Flores-Oebanda
Publisher:
United Nations [UN] Division for the Advancement of Women , 2006
This paper argues that countries should either integrate domestic work under existing labour legislation or introduce specific laws for the protection of adult domestic workers and the prevention of underage worker recruitment.
The author highlights that governments should give priority to the following measures:
- intensify international support for the passage of national laws such as the ‘batas kasambahay’ which addresses the specific vulnerabilities of domestic workers and aims to change social perceptions and policies to recognise the dignity of the sector or domestic workers’ bill in the Philippines
- address trafficking dimensions in domestic work
- implement educational strategies that take into account the unique situation of child domestic labourers
- expand protective services for domestic workers, especially those at risk and those already trapped in exploitation
- integrate the recommendations of child domestic workers into policy and practice
This is one of the Expert Papers for the Expert Group Meeting on the 'Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl-child', UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, Italy 25-28 September 2006
