Call on the Government of Brazil to Ratify C189 to Help End Domestic Slavery

Women and girls leave their homes every day to find jobs as domestic workers in the cities across Brazil.

But when they show up for their first day of work, some find out they've been deceived. Locked inside the homes of strangers, their passports taken away, often beaten and sexually abused, caught in the nightmare of modern slavery.

For the first time ever, there's a global standard to protect domestic workers. It's called Convention 189.[1] 15 key countries have already signed on [2] and momentum is growing for an international surge of support.

Call on the Government of Brazil to ratify Convention 189 immediately and help end domestic slavery.

Around the world, there are at least 64.5 million domestic workers — over 15% are children. [3] Domestic work is a growing industry, worth US$8 billion in illegal profits every year. [4] If all domestic workers worked in one country, this country would be the tenth largest employer worldwide.

Domestic work is an important source of employment but the people behind these numbers are too often invisible behind the doors of private households and unprotected by national legislation. This allows for the worst types of abuse often amounting to modern slavery.

Tougher rules to protect domestic workers are long overdue. By sending a message to the Government today you can help start a domino effect until all countries take action. 15 countries have already taken this step – will yours be next?  Women and girls leave their homes every day to find jobs as domestic workers in the cities across U.S.

But when they show up for their first day of work, some find out they've been deceived. Locked inside the homes of strangers, their passports taken away, often beaten and sexually abused, caught in the nightmare of modern slavery.

For the first time ever, there's a global standard to protect domestic workers. It's called Convention 189.[1] 15 key countries have already signed on [2] and momentum is growing for an international surge of support.

[1] http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO:12100:P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:2551460:NO
[2] http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:11300:0::NO::P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:2551460
[3] http://www.hrw.org/reports/2013/10/27/claiming-rights
[4] http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf
Dear Minister Dias,

I call on the government of Brazil to ratify the Domestic Workers Convention 189 immediately.

I believe domestic workers should enjoy the same protections as other workers and no longer be the invisible labour behind the doors of private households and unprotected by national legislation. This invisibility allows for the worst types of abuse often amounting to modern slavery.

[Your comments here]

I call on the government of Brazil to take a stand for domestic workers.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
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