"Despite their vital contribution to society, supporting households with their most personal and care needs, most of the world’s 75.6 million domestic workers face multiple barriers to enjoying legal coverage and effective access to social security, the report explains. They are often excluded from national social security legislation," it adds.

As 76.2% of domestic workers (57.7 million people) are women, such social protection gaps leave women particularly vulnerable, the data shows.

"While few domestic workers enjoy comprehensive social protection, they are more likely to be eligible for old-age, disability and survivors’ benefits and medical care, and, to a slightly lesser degree, for maternity benefits and sickness benefits. Most of them do not have access to social insurance schemes' benefits related to unemployment or employment injury," it adds.

Region-wise, in Europe and Central Asia, 57.3% of domestic workers are legally covered for all benefits. A little more than 10% have such a right in the Americas; almost none are fully covered in the Arab states, Asia and the Pacific and Africa — regions that include countries where significant numbers of domestic workers are employed.

The report calls for ensuring that domestic workers enjoy comprehensive social protection as favourable as those existing for other workers. The ILO report says that from easing administrative processes to simplifying registration and designing a benefit system, there’s a lot to be done to ensure all necessary benefits reach the domestic workers. "Customise and simplify administrative procedures to ensure that legal coverage translates into coverage in practice. Simplify and streamline registration and payment procedures and develop adequate financing mechanisms. Design benefit systems to suit the specificities of domestic work. Raise awareness."

domestic workers

94% of domestic workers lack comprehensive social security: ILO