© Causes 2012. Anyone can change the world.
Immediate passage of the Magna Carta for Domestic Workers in the Philippines
Immediate passage of the Magna Carta for Domestic Workers in the Philippines
At the national level, the campaign for the passage of a Magna Carta for Domestic Workers (“Batas Kasambahay”) is already gaining approval. This proposed legislation is the core of VF’s legislative reform agenda for the sector. While there are already measures that encompass kasambahay concerns, there is still no bill like the Batas Kasambahay that provides appropriate measures to address the specific vulnerabilities of domestic work and to recognize the sector’s importance and contribution to nation-building
VF has effectively mobilized support for this piece of legislation that promises to uplift the conditions of the invisible, scattered and often neglected sector of Philippine society. One notable achievement of VFFI in this advocacy is gathering the one million signatures that call for the passage of this bill. A national survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, a prominent social research institution in the Philippines, showed that a strong majority of Filipinos, roughly 9 out of 10, support the passage of the Domestic Workers bill.
At the international front, VF’s advocacy with international partners has also put forward the cause of the domestic work sector. The International Domestic Workers Convention that VFFI has been lobbying with partners has finally gained international attention as the Governing Body of ILO is set to discuss the decent work of domestic workers in the 99th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) scheduled in June 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILC session is expected to discuss the standard setting for the work conditions of the domestic workers and the development of ILO instruments which could take the form of a new convention, supplemented by recommendations.
1. Dignity for all domestic workers!
2. Domestic work is decent work.
3. Protect domestic workers from abuse and exploitation.
4. Make it a priority bill now
5. Visit www.visayanforum.org for more information