Fifteen years ago on this day, on a sunny June day in Switzerland, millions of domestic workers worldwide gained the recognition they had long deserved. The adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), during the International Labour Conference in Geneva was a landmark moment, one that recognized domestic work as work like any other and affirmed that domestic workers are entitled to the same rights and protections as other workers. Domestic work ers play a critical role in sustaining families, societies and economies. They clean homes, cook meals, guard households and tend to gardens. They also care for children, older persons and persons with disabilities in need of care and support. In the fifteen years since its adoption, there are better protections for domestic workers in several countries. By 2021, there had been a 15-percentage point increase in the number of domestic workers recognized under labour laws. Yet despite this progress, millions remain excluded from labour rights, social protection and decent working conditions. Characterized by its informality, domestic work also puts workers at risk of workplace injuries, illness and lack of financial security in old age.
Today, protecting domestic workers is more urgent than ever. Demand for care and domestic work is growing worldwide, driven by demographic change and increased participation of women in the labour force. Yet millions of domestic workers continue to face insecure working conditions, inadequate protection and limited access to social security.
In Pakistan, domestic workers are among the most informal and vulnerable segments of the workforce, in a labour market where more than 72 per cent of non-agricultural workers are employed informally. Women are disproportionately represented in both paid and unpaid domestic work, accounting for most workers in the sector.
As the backbone of the care economy, domestic workers play a critical role in supporting households, communities and the broader economy. They are part of Pakistan’s 117.4 million paid and unpaid care workers, 57 per cent of whom are women. Yet despite their essential contribution, domestic workers are often excluded from labour protections and social security, lack effective representation and remain particularly vulnerable to violence, harassment and exploitation. While there has been progress, the question now is how we can accelerate change over the next 15 years? The world of domestic work is stronger than it was 15 years ago, with more countries ratifying the Convention or extending labour protections and strengthening institutional capacity, including Pakistan, which has made notable strides. Punjab has led reform, becoming the first province to adopt a dedicated legal framework for domestic workers through the Punjab Domestic Workers Act, 2019, establishing protections such as minimum wages, limits on working hours, maternity benefits and prohibition of forced labour.
The notification of the Rules in 2025 marked an important step towards translating these legal protections into practice. The Islamabad Capital Territory Domestic Workers Act, adopted in 2022, was another milestone, including a complete prohibition on the employment of children as domestic workers. Momentum for reform is continuing. In 2026, the Sindh Assembly passed the Domestic Workers Welfare Bill, while the Punjab Labour Code, 2026 consolidated domestic workers’ rights within a modern labour framework aligned with international labour standards.
These reforms demonstrate growing recognition of the vital contribution domestic workers make to society. The challenge now is to ensure that legal protections are effectively implemented and enforced so that domestic workers can fully benefit from the rights guaranteed on paper.
Pakistan has made significant progress in strengthening the voice and representation of domestic workers, particularly in Punjab. A major milestone was the registration of the country’s first Domestic Workers’ Union in 2015, which evolved into the United Domestic Workers Federation in 2025 and now advocates for domestic workers’ rights across the province. Progress has also been made in extending social protection. In 2022, a voluntary social security scheme registered more than 10,000 domestic workers in Punjab, many of whom subsequently accessed health benefits through PESSI.
On the employers’ side, the Domestic Workers Employers Association (DWEA) was established in Punjab in 2023 and, more recently, in Sindh, as a representative body for household employers of domestic workers. These developments mark an important step towards fostering social dialogue and formalizing employment relationships between domestic workers and their employers.
The results are already tangible. Through social dialogue, domestic workers in Punjab achieved a milestone in 2025 when the Government notified a minimum wage of PKR 40,000 (approximately USD 143 per month), bringing domestic workers in line with other categories of workers. Momentum has continued into 2026. At a tripartite meeting on 21 May, representatives of the Punjab Labour Department, the Domestic Workers Employers Association and the United Domestic Workers Federation agreed to pilot a model employment contract under the Punjab Domestic Workers Rules, 2025, taking an important step towards making decent work principles a reality.
Equally important are efforts to ensure rights can be enforced in practice. Union Council Committees have been established to address grievances and resolve disputes involving domestic workers. Pakistan has already demonstrated its commitment to improving protections through legislative reforms, social dialogue and institutional innovation. Ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), would be an important next step in aligning national efforts with international labour standards and reinforcing commitment to decent work for all.
Domestic Workers Day is more than an anniversary. It is a call to accelerate action across sectors, borders and identities, grounded in shared interests and values. However, at current rates of progress, it would take 85 more years to ensure all domestic workers are protected—too slow. Domestic workers sustain households, communities and economies, yet many still lack the protection, recognition and dignity afforded to other workers. Fifteen years after the adoption of Convention No. 189, the case for change remains compelling. The progress made in Pakistan shows what is possible. Now is the time to build on that momentum and ensure that every domestic worker can enjoy the rights, protections and decent work opportunities they deserve.
The writer is Country Director, International Labour Organization.
