Domestic work—from childcare to eldercare, cooking to cleaning—sustains economies, families, and societies. Yet, it remains systematically excluded from economic metrics, policy frameworks, and public recognition. This invisibility is not accidental; it is a structural feature of an economic system that relies on the exploitation of unpaid and underpaid labor, disproportionately performed by women. On March 8, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we turn our attention to that work that sustains economies, families, and societies but remains invisible: unpaid and undervalued care work.

As Progressive International Council member Silvia Federici wrote in Wages Against Housework, “To say that we want wages for housework is to expose the fact that housework is already producing value and that women are the slaves of a wage system which exploits them through unpaid work.”

This International Women’s Day, we say: This work is not a labour of love. It is work — and it is time it is recognised, remunerated, and respected.

From Mexico to Brazil, Spain to South Africa, feminist movements and policymakers are leading transformative efforts to redress this inequality. These include groundbreaking policies such as social care systems, labour rights for domestic workers, and innovative models of compensation for care work.

In 2011, the International Labour Organization took a historic step with the adoption of Convention 189, which established global standards for the rights of domestic workers, including fair wages, reasonable working hours, and social security. Over 30 countries have ratified it as of 2023, with Uruguay leading the charge in 2012 by implementing laws granting domestic workers access to social security, paid leave, and minimum wage protections.

Brazil followed suit in 2013 with a constitutional amendment that granted domestic workers the same labor rights as other workers, including overtime pay, unemployment insurance, and a maximum 44-hour workweek. Spain, too, formalised domestic work in 2012, requiring contracts, social security contributions, and access to unemployment benefits.

In South Africa, the government amended its labor laws in 2013 to include domestic workers under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, ensuring minimum wage, paid leave, and severance pay. The Philippines passed the Batas Kasambahay (Domestic Workers Act) the same year, mandating written contracts, minimum wage, and social security coverage. Argentina, too, took significant steps, passing a law in 2013 that granted domestic workers access to pensions, paid vacations, and maternity leave.

These national efforts are complemented by the tireless advocacy of social movements and trade unions. The #WagesForHousework Campaign, a global feminist movement, has pushed for the recognition and remuneration of unpaid domestic and care work in countries like Italy, the UK, and the US. In the United States, the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) has successfully lobbied for state-level bills, such as the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in New York (2010) and California (2013), ensuring overtime pay, rest days, and protections against harassment.

The International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), a global federation of domestic workers’ unions, has been instrumental in advocating for labor rights, including campaigns for the ratification of ILO C189 and national policy reforms. In South Africa, the “Care Work is Work” Campaign, led by the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU), pushed for the inclusion of domestic workers in labor laws and social protections.

Political parties and governments have also taken bold steps. Mexico’s National Care System, proposed in 2020 under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, seeks to recognise and support unpaid care work, including domestic labour. New Zealand’s Labour Party implemented a pay equity settlement in 2017 for care and support workers, including domestic workers. In India, the draft National Policy for Domestic Workers (2021) proposes minimum wages, social security, and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Grassroots initiatives have also played a crucial role. In Kenya, the “We Are Visible” Campaign, led by the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), raised awareness about the rights of domestic workers. In Switzerland, the “My Fair Home” Campaign by the Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) promoted fair working conditions for domestic workers in private households.

The demand for recognition and remuneration for domestic work is not just about compensation — it is about justice. It is about acknowledging that this labor already produces immense value and that its invisibility perpetuates inequality.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the progress made and recommit to the fight for a world where care work is valued, visible, and fairly compensated.

We are publishing videos from feminist leaders across our social media feeds to say that domestic work is Not a Labour of Love. Join us.

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