August 05, 2022

No more domestic slave labor

The national campaign #TrabalhoEscravoDomesticoNuncaMais is an initiative developed by UN Women and the International Labor Organization (ILO), in partnership with the National Federation of Domestic Workers (FENATRAD), NGO Themis – Gênero, Justice and Human Rights, Public Ministry of Labor of Rio de Janeiro (MPT-RJ), Articulation of Brazilian Women Articulation of Brazilian Women (AMB-Rio) and Unified Black Movement (MNU-RJ).

This initiative aims to defend the rights of domestic workers, with a focus on combating domestic work analogous to slavery. In this way, the action aims to make the population, workers and people who use these services aware of the characteristics of work analogous to slavery. According to the NGO Themis “The campaign points out that this is a criminal practice and shows the signs so that the worker can identify this situation or so that people close to a worker who goes through this can help, presenting a complaint to the Public Ministry of Labor”.

In June 2022, the signature of Convention 189 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) completed 11 years, being adopted by representatives of Governments, Employers, Men and Women workers during the International Conference do Labour, presenting measures for domestic work to be decent work. Of the 35 countries that have ratified this Convention, 17 are in the Latin American and Caribbean region – including Brazil.

“The legislation is clear. The ILO is clear. Convention 189 guarantees us dignified and decent work, with adequate remuneration and humane treatment. This fight, unfortunately, in the middle of the 21st century, is still far from over. Many female workers are still living in private prison and work analogous to slavery, in addition to physical violence. Employers rely on the impunity and isolation that domestic workers experience in the workplace. FENATRAD and its affiliated unions have done what is possible within the law to curb this type of abuse”, says the general coordinator of FENATRAD, Luiza Batista.

The campaign's actions consist of videos and informational pieces on UN Women's social networks, partnerships highlighting the rights of female workers, as well as dissemination of the Public Ministry of Labor channel, enabling clarifications and complaints. They also include activities with civil society, employers, black and women's movements, government agents, representations of domestic workers and the press. To watch the campaign videos, access the following links:

In Brazil, domestic work analogous to slavery is still very present, occurring in different regions and involving employers from different social classes. To learn more about this, visit:

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