Domestic Workers in Turkey Report Published

International Labor Organization
2013

Report is the first national study aiming to explore the domestic work sector in Turkey
Entitled "The visible face of women’s invisible labour: Domestic workers in Turkey", the Report is prepared by Prof. Dr. Gülay Toksöz and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seyhan Erdoğdu from Ankara University and published in the scope of the Conditions of Work and Employment Working Research Series of the ILO. The study highlights that informality is a predominant feature of domestic work in Turkey, a sector largely comprised of women workers. The authors of the study suggest that there is need but also room for improving domestic workers’ access to social security and for strengthening the legal framework addressing domestic workers’ needs and working conditions.
The findings of the study were presented at the National Conference on Decent Work for Domestic Workers in Turkey organized by the ILO in February 2013, with the participation of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The Conference was an opportunity for the ILO’s tripartite constituents, as well as civil society organizations and academia to discuss the main problems facing domestic workers in Turkey and to reflect on possible ways forward. The Report was updated and finalized in the light of the feedback provided by social partners and relevant public institutions during and following the Conference.
The Report is also an important part of ILO’s global activities on domestic workers. In June 2011, the International Labour Conference adopted the Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) and Recommendation (No.201) which are the first international standards specifically dedicated to the promotion of decent work for this group of workers. Since then, the instruments have become an important source of guidance for policy-makers around the globe seeking to improve the living and working conditions of domestic workers. The ILO’s follow-up activities in support of governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations include knowledge development and sharing, such as the Domestic Workers in Turkey Report, among other activities. You can reach the Turkish version of the Report here, and English version here.