Who We Are

The International Domestic Workers' Network (IDWN) is made up of domestic workers' organizations and other trade unions around the world. Our steering committee comprises representatives from domestic workers' organizations, and we are provided with an organizational base by the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF). We are supported by Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO).

At the first global meeting of representatives of domestic workers organizations at Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2006, a decision was made to entrust the IUF, a Global Union Federation and WIEGO to develop a project to assist domestic workers to organize and to campaign for decent work. In 2009, an interim structure of IDWN was formally launched and since then, had been actively participating in the ILO process to realize an ILO convention for domestic workers by coordinating campaigns of domestic workers at various levels. The strategies and collective actions have built coherence and solidarity of domestic workers worldwide and hence the IDWN.

Today, the IDWN is based in the Global Union Federation, IUF, which has domestic workers in its jurisdiction. Some of its affiliates organize domestic workers. Currently, the IDWN has the status of a special, self-funded project, reporting to the IUF Executive.

What We Aim

• Strong democratic domestic workers' organization to protect domestic workers' rights
• Change power relations in society, to promote gender equality and human rights for the benefits of domestic workers
• Democracy and accountability at the organization level
• Solidarity with other labour movements

What We Do

• Lead and monitor the campaign for the ratification of the ILO Convention for domestic workers (C 189), its implementation and to report complaints (to the ILO)
• Raise awareness in each region of the situation of domestic workers and increase the visibility of the network of domestic workers
• Participate in international forums and influence international policies in e.g. UN Women, ILO, ITUC, GUFs, etc.
• Build strong trade union solidarity in all countries, and form alliances with social justice and labour movements
• Empower domestic workers as leaders
• Provide a platform for exchange and to facilitate constant communication amongst members
• Expand the membership of the network so it can be wider and stronger
• Share and exchange to learn from one another and to develop educators and trainers