1GzuFGC

MAKING PROGRESS/STORIES OF CHANGEON THEBOOKSCollective action brings victory todomestic workers in New YorkAcross the world, 53 million people, over 80 per cent ofthem women, are employed as domestic workers. Theirwork helps economies grow, advances the participationof women in the workplace and provides crucial care formillions of dependents. Every day they cook, clean, lookafter the elderly, help children with homework, performingvital roles in keeping households and communities running.“Domestic work makes all other work possible,” says Ai-jenPoo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, anational membership body made up of domestic workergroups across the United States.“Domestic workers have always been critical to thefunctioning of national economies, but they are nowabsolutely critical to the growth of our global economy.”Yet as a workforce, these millions of women remain largelyinvisible. In many countries, domestic workers remainexcluded from national labour laws. This leaves domesticAi-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Co-director ofthe Caring Across Generations campaignPhoto: UN Women/Ryan Brown65