Promoting Labor Rights for Women Domestic Workers

About the Author: Barbara Shailor serves as Special Representative forInternational Labor Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

This year during Women’s History Month, the United States is highlighting its continuing efforts to press for gender equality and to advance the status of women and girls. As Secretary Kerry affirmed in his editorial on March 8, the contributions of women are essential for widely-shared prosperity, sustainable development, and durable peace.

I want to take this opportunity to recognize the women who perform some of the most marginalized and at the same time, most personal, work in our global economy – domestic workers. Their contribution has long gone undervalued and unrecognized; yet, domestic workers – approximately 80 percent of… more »