Children in Domestic Work

A rising concern on the need to provide protection and institutional responses that will ensure the general welfare of working girl-children highlights the need among policy makers, both international and local, for a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of girl-child labor.

In the Philippines for example, while gender and development programs are finding their way into institutional mainstreams, little has been achieved in terms of providing coherent approaches sensitive to the needs of the working girl-child.  Thus, child labor initiatives have taken broad forms, presumably with a view that programmatic actions that are effective for child laborers in general have the same degree of efficacy when extended to a girl-child laborer.

With the Philippine ratification of ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor together with Recommendation 190, the country has committed to take immediate measures to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.  One such measure is to generate statistical data on the nature and extent of child labor that will serve as a basis for determining priorities for national action for the abolition of child labor, in particular for the prohibition and elimination of its worst forms, as a matter of urgency.”

The International Labor Organization (ILO), through the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) and the Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labor (SIMPOC), commissioned the Institute for Labor Studies to conduct Rapid Assessment Studies on girl-children in commercial agriculture, commercial sexual exploitation and domestic work.

This is part of the IPEC/ SIMPOC’s objective of conducting 38 Rapid Assessments of the worst forms of child labor in twenty countries and one border area. 

These investigations will be made through application of the rapid assessment methodology recently prepared by ILO/UNICEF.  These Assessments have a common objective of being contributing to the knowledge base on girl-children in the stated sectors.  The studies had the following specific objectives: (a) to assess the local magnitude of girl-children in the three target sectors; (b) describe the work processes, conditions and arrangements involved in the sectors; (c) identify policies, programs or initiatives that address the concerns of working girl-children; and (d) recommend directions toward the formulations of appropriate policies and programs.

For the study on children in domestic work, 36 child domestic workers were interviewed.  Supplementing family income is one of their primary reasons in working as a domestic helper.  Although fast turnover of employers was noted, most of the respondents preferred to work as a domestic for lack of skills and alternative employment for their families.

The study found out that domestic work demands a lot of time from children.  Work hours ranged from 5 to 16 hours.  Some 88.3% of the respondents experienced work-related illnesses due to exhaustion. Physical and verbal abuses were common. There were unclear terms of work since the onset of employment.  Others were deprived of opportunities to go to school.  Given the nature of their workplace where they are vulnerable to sexual abuse, children in domestic work are practically out of reach for intervention. In cases of abuse, children in domestic work would rather tolerate the difficulties they face rather than be out of work.

While females consisted 88.9% of the respondents, the gender dimension of child domestic work in terms of stereotyping girls into domestic work is yet to be established in future studies. The study, however, found out that parents expect their daughters to help in household chores while they are young, making these their initial training prior to entering domestic work. The study further found that boys are least likely expected to take part in household chores.

Tracking back factors that drove children to enter domestic work, the study found out a flourishing market for younger domestic workers who command a lower pay than older and seasoned ones. There are also unregulated recruitment processes that encourage the proliferation of illegal trafficking of children. 

Key informants in the study saw the need for a clear policy on children in domestic work.  This would entail resolving the issue whether domestic work is a worst form of child labor.  Policies that are geared toward improving the working conditions in domestic work should also be pushed. Enhancing networks that would help in institutionalizing girls’ participation in advocacy efforts towards their protection were also seen.  Mobilizing communities and installing support mechanisms that would sustain the income of families to prevent the entry of children into domestic work were also recommended.