Cayetano calls for ratification of treaties for OFWs

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Pia Cayetano called on her fellow legislators around the world to work on ratifying the treaties aimed at protecting the rights of domestic workers, many of whom are Filipino women.

Delivering the Philippine statement at the 131st General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Geneva, Cayetano said that there was an alarming rise in cases of violence and physical abuse committed against domestic workers, particularly among women.

“Of the 52.6 million domestic workers worldwide, 83 percent are women. Close to 30 percent are excluded from national labor legislation, 45 percent have no entitlement to weekly rest periods or paid annual leave, while more than a third of women domestic workers have no maternity protection,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano urged the legislators of the IPU member states to adopt International Labor Organization Convention No.189 or the Domestic Workers Convention of 2011, which seeks to promote decent work for all domestic workers worldwide, including migrant domestic workers or those who need to work outside their countries of birth.

The ILO convention also recognizes the special conditions under which domestic work is carried out.

Cayetano noted that not only is domestic work undervalued and “invisible,” it is also mainly performed by women and girls, many of whom are migrants or members of disadvantaged communities and are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and abuse with respect to employment conditions and labor rights.

However, only 14 countries have ratified ILO Convention 189, including the Philippines.

Cayetano also pushed for the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.

She said that the two instruments embody the commitment of member-states to ensure effective promotion and protection of the human rights of all domestic workers.

In the case of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, Cayetano pointed out that only 47 countries have ratified this, including the Philippines.

“For those countries which have not ratified both the ILO and UN Conventions, I ask the invaluable help of all of us gathered here today to call on your respective governments and urge them to ratify these very important agreements now,” Cayetano said.