The Dhobi Women Network, in partnership with the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), convened a pivotal dialogue focusing on the rights and persistent struggles of domestic workers. This event, under the theme “Domestic Work is Work,“ brought together community stakeholders, advocates, and domestic workers to address critical issues within the domestic labor sector. This event took place on October 31, 2024.
The dialogue also marked the official launch of the Dhobi Women Network, a movement dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and social well-being of domestic workers in Mathare, Eastleigh, and other informal settlements.
The Dhobi Women Network.
The Dhobi Women Network is a grassroots initiative that seeks to unify domestic workers by providing a platform for solidarity, advocacy, and community-driven action. Founded by women who have lived experience of the challenges of domestic work, the Network operates as a space where domestic workers can connect, share experiences, and collectively address workplace injustices.
The Network works to:
- Educate domestic workers about their rights and responsibilities to protect them from exploitation
- Advocate for fair labor practices, equitable wages, and dignified working conditions
- Mobilize domestic workers to take collective action, including unionization and the development of support systems
- Collaborate with other organizations and campaigns to offer legal aid, training, and access to resources
By centering the lived experiences of domestic workers and partnering with stakeholders who champion social justice, the Dhobi Women Network is building a movement that aspires to transform the informal domestic labor sector.
Continuing the Fight for Justice: A Movement’s Launch
The Dhobi Women Network was introduced as a beacon of hope for domestic workers facing entrenched exploitation, unfair wages, and power imbalances. Rooted in the principles of social justice and human rights, the movement seeks to dismantle the systemic barriers that devalue domestic work and create enduring solutions for workers in the most vulnerable sectors.
The launch on October 31 symbolized an unwavering commitment to amplifying the voices of domestic workers, advocating for their rights, and fostering a community of solidarity amid growing economic pressures and workplace injustices.
Unpacking the Struggles of Domestic Workers
During the launch, Balkisa, from Save a Girl Save a Generation, underscored the importance of educating women about their rights and equipping them with practical skills to combat workplace injustices. She reiterated that education and collective power is essential to ensuring domestic workers achieve dignity and fairness in their roles. Save a Girl Save a Generation is an organization that works with the Dhobi Women Network to protect women who face cases of gender-based violence, and they also have a campaign against forced female circumcision.
The Lived Realities of Domestic Workers
The dialogue featured moving testimonies from domestic workers, like Mama Osodo and Mama Wambui, who shared their experiences with unpaid wages, workplace violence, false accusations, and pervasive employer-employee power imbalances. These stories shed light on the structural injustices faced by many workers and reinforced the urgency of building collective action to transform their conditions.
The women have also adopted table banking as a practice to save the little resources they make from their work. Table banking, as a model of social entrepreneurship, has helped foster a sense of financial independence and discipline; it has also provided an accessible and informal platform to save and address urgent and everyday financial needs.
Collaborative Support from Advocacy Groups
Organizations like HESAID and Maisha Safe Girls reaffirmed their commitment to supporting domestic workers. By providing safe spaces and resources for those facing exploitation, these groups align with the Dhobi Women Network’s mission to create an inclusive and resilient support network.
Unionization as a Tool for Rights Advocacy
The dialogue highlighted the critical role of unionization in advancing workers’ rights. Javan Owala, speaking on behalf of the Kamukunji Member of Parliament, emphasized the need for collective organizing to strengthen legal protections for domestic workers. Unionization was framed as a necessary strategy to address the persistent invisibility of domestic workers in formal labor systems.
Legal Empowerment for Domestic Workers
MSJC’s Legal Empowerment Network provided valuable insights into workers’ legal rights and the tools available to them. Key discussions on these topics included the importance of formal contracts or agreements, adherence to minimum wage standards, and creating equitable working conditions.
The Network affirmed its unwavering commitment to ensuring domestic workers in informal settlements have access to legal and community-based remedies. It also noted that their campaigns must continue championing the ratification of the international labor instruments that protect domestic workers, mainly the ILO C189, which aim to protect the rights of domestic workers.
Alternative Justice Systems (AJS): Accessible Solutions for Informal Workers
In recognizing the limitations of formal justice systems, the event explored the role of Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) as culturally relevant and accessible mechanisms for resolving workplace grievances. AJS presents an important complement to formal systems, particularly for domestic workers who face barriers to accessing traditional legal avenues.
RESOLUTIONS: Solidarity for Sustained Change
The launch of the Dhobi Women Network marks a pivotal moment in the fight for domestic workers’ rights. The dialogue and launch concluded with a renewed commitment to sustained advocacy and solidarity, calling upon community members, organizations and policymakers to recognize domestic work as essential labor deserving of dignity, protection, and equity.
By centering the voices of domestic workers and mobilizing collective action, the Network aims to dismantle systemic inequalities, and ensure that justice and human rights are accessible to all workers, particularly those in informal settlements like Eastleigh.
The struggle for justice is far from over, but with the resilience of domestic workers and the growing solidarity within movements like Dhobi Women Network, a more equitable future is within reach.
Report by: Vincent Mahugu (Legal Empowerment Network).
