According to the ILO, domestic workers are often excluded from national social security legislation.
As per the report, 57.3% of domestic workers in Europe and Central Asia are legally covered for all benefits while a little more than 10% have such a right in the Americas and almost none are fully covered in the Arab states, Asia and the Pacific and Africa.
Only 6% of domestic workers worldwide have access to comprehensive social protection with women who constitute 76.2% of the total domestic workforce particularly more vulnerable in the absence of adequate social benefits, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said.
“This leaves more than 94% lacking access to the full range of protections, covering medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity and survivors’ benefits,” it said in its report on Thursday.
According to the report, making the right to social security a reality for domestic workers, about half of all domestic workers have no coverage at all, with the remaining half legally covered by at least one benefit.
“Even where they are legally covered, only one-in-five domestic workers are actually covered in practice because the vast majority are employed informally,” it said.
“Despite their vital contribution to society, supporting households with their most personal and care needs, most of the world’s 75.6 million domestic workers face multiple barriers to enjoying legal coverage and effective access to social security,” it added.
According to the ILO, domestic workers are often excluded from national social security legislation. As 76.2% of domestic workers (57.7 million people) are women and such social protection gaps leave them particularly vulnerable.
As per the report, 57.3% of domestic workers in Europe and Central Asia are legally covered for all benefits while a little more than 10% have such a right in the Americas and almost none are fully covered in the Arab states, Asia and the Pacific and Africa. These are regions that include countries where significant numbers of domestic workers are employed.