Summary

The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Urmila Bhoola, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/1.

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur discusses the impact of slavery and servitude on marginalized migrant women workers in the global domestic economy.

The Special Rapporteur outlines the State obligations related to the protection of migrant workers; she indicates how women migrant domestic workers are affected by servitude, as bolstered by State economic policy, and she refers to human rights violations affecting migrant domestic workers before discussing options and persisting limitations in accessing justice. In her report, the Special Rapporteur also refers to the role of private employment agencies and to positive measures taken by Member States to protect against domestic servitude.

To prevent human rights violations including servitude in the domestic sector, policies are needed that tackle discrimination while also helping to balance the legitimate concerns of both employers and workers. A sustainable domestic work economy should ensure access to justice, effective enforcement and remedies in the case of exploitation and abuse, while also addressing issues of prejudice against migrants through advocacy.

In her recommendations, the Special Rapporteur advises States on how to effectively prevent and combat domestic servitude by ensuring the protection of migrant women and their access to decent work.