Fanfan Rwanyindo, Africa’s regional director, International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) has called on African governments to view its 9.6 million domestic workers as an economic driver supporting the wider economy, and not only as a private matter inside homes.
She noted this during Domestic Workers Day, which was adopted as the first international labour standard that recognises paid care within the home.
Rwanyindo argues that domestic workers play a vital role, not just within the households they support, but across the wider economy, as their labour is a strategic investment in the wellbeing and resilience of African societies that needs regulation and respect. When afforded protection, dignity and recognition, communities as a whole flourish.
