GENEVA 3 June, 2010: Today, governments, trade unions and employers’ associations will gather start the debates to vote for a new international labour standard for the over 1 million domestic workers across the globe. CARAM Asia and Tenaganita call upon all the representatives from over 183 countries of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to vote for a binding Convention on Domestic Workers supplemented by a recommendation to break away from decades of slavery treatment of domestic workers

Both organization is joining over 5,000 delegates at the International Labour Conference in Geneva to discuss about setting a historic new labour standards for domestic workers.

A majority of 42 governments who responded to an ILO questionnaire in 2008 are in favour of a binding instrument in the form of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation. These supportive governments included influential states such as UK, Sweden and Australia. Unfortunately, the Malaysian government only supported a non binding recommendation for domestic workers. This is a comparatively weaker position compare to its neighbour, Thailand who supports a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation.

CARAM Asia a regional network of NGOs and migrant associations with Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It membership include migrant domestic workers who speaks up and defend their rights.

For centuries, domestic work has been undervalued as women's responsibility, it is time for our contribution to be valued with decent work conditions" -Retno Dewi, Indonesian returnee Migrant Domestic Worker and Board member of CARAM Asia.

In Malaysia, Tenaganita has handled more than 285 cases with 1995 human rights violations from domestic workers alone.

The recognition of domestic work as work will bring about equality in treatment and dignity of domestic workers globally.  And the adoption of this Domestic workers Convention will be a landmark decision and commitment to end modern day forms of slavery.” says Dr. Irene Fernandez, Executive Director of Tenaganita (Women’s Force)

With the international community moving towards acknowledging the labour rights of domestic workers, both organization strongly urge governments of host countries to amend/ enact new legislations that grants full labour rights such as weekly days off, paid annual leaves and the rights to join trade unions to migrant domestic workers globally.