Celebrating International Domestic Workers’ Day: Spotlight on Jazza Centre and Fair Employment Foundation
On June 16, 2024, we mark International Domestic Workers' Day by highlighting the significant contributions of domestic workers and the transformative efforts of care economy businesses that support decent employment and professionalisation, and advance worker rights by recognising and rewarding paid domestic work. Previously, we have featured care economy businesses from Latin America, which we came to know through our care economy research over the past three years. This year, we want to share the work of care economy businesses in Africa and Asia, by shining a spotlight on Jazza Centre in Kenya and Fair Employment Foundation in Hong Kong, two care economy businesses that are leading the way in professionalising and empowering women who are domestic workers.
Jazza Centre: Empowering Domestic Workers in Kenya
In Kenya, domestic workers, predominantly women, face challenging conditions. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), over 80% of domestic workers in most African countries work informally, without an employment contract. Many experience low wages, long working hours, and a lack of social protection as a result of this informality and precarity. Founded in 2013, Jazza Centre is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to disrupting this status quo by training and placing domestic workers with employers and facilitating their formalisation. The organisation primarily serves vulnerable young and middle-aged women, equipping them with essential skills that cover a wide range of roles, including housekeepers, nannies, cooks, caregivers, gardeners, and office cleaners.
Jazza Centre's comprehensive approach includes not only skill development but also job placement, supervision, and ongoing support. Jazza Centre share a contract template with employers, encouraging them to sign a formal contract with the domestic worker, which includes conditions such as daily/weekly rest, annual leave, minimum wage, a formal period of contract termination, a suitable work environment and enrollment in social security benefits.
Jazza Centre also offers additional benefits such as membership in a Nanny Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO), which provides access to savings and credit to its members, further enhancing domestic workers’ financial stability and economic empowerment.
Jazza Centre has significantly impacted the lives of domestic workers, having trained nearly 7000 individuals and placed close to 5,500 in various households and enterprises. These workers benefit from timely salaries, respectful treatment, and stable working environments, which enhance their sense of security and empowerment. Many workers report positive experiences, highlighting improved relationships with employers and the ability to better support their families, including covering educational expenses for their children. Jazza Centre's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in their regular customer satisfaction surveys and monthly feedback calls.
By improving the conditions and skillset of domestic workers, and supporting their formalisation, Jazza Centre is helping to elevate the status and rights of women workers in Kenya. Read more about Jazza Centre in their business profile here and case study here.
Fair Employment Foundation: Advocating for Migrant Domestic Workers in the Philippines
In Hong Kong, migrant domestic workers from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia often face significant exploitation through debt bondage and other unethical employment practices. As a result, 31% of domestic workers in Hong Kong reported that they had no choice but to stay with the same employer to repay their debt, even if they experienced abuse.
The Fair Employment Foundation (FEF) is committed to preventing such exploitation by addressing deficiencies in the recruitment system. FEF operates an integrated set of market solutions designed to ensure fair treatment and safe working conditions for domestic workers. One of FEF's core strategies is to replace the traditional, often exploitative recruitment process by providing ethical hiring solutions that prioritise the well-being and rights of workers. This includes ensuring transparent contracts and fair wages and providing support networks that protect workers from abuse and exploitation. By focusing on fair employment practices, FEF not only improves the immediate conditions of these workers but also contributes to broader gender equality.
Through increasing awareness around bonded and forced labour and promoting behavioural compliance with good employment standards and laws, FEF contributes to greater recognition and reward of domestic labour in households and corporations. Read more about Fair Employment Foundation in their business profile here and case study here.
The Fair Employment Foundation (FEF) has made substantial strides in improving conditions for domestic workers, placing over 8,000 individuals into jobs in Hong Kong without incurring recruitment-related debt. This has saved workers an estimated US$5.8 million in placement fees. The foundation regularly checks in with workers through a welfare officer and gathers client satisfaction data two months post-deployment. FEF's efforts have led to stable employment, as evidenced by low termination rates within three months of placement. The foundation has also influenced policy changes, such as the Philippines Consultate’s revision of employment contracts to enhance worker protections for dangerous activities. Workers placed by FEF report higher self-esteem and a greater sense of worth, attributing these improvements to debt-free job placements and supportive work environments.
Both Jazza Centre and FEF exemplify the kind of innovative, impactful work needed to uplift and protect domestic workers globally. Their efforts not only improve the immediate conditions of women workers but also contribute to broader social and economic development by recognising and valuing the essential role of domestic labour.
As we celebrate International Domestic Workers' Day, we acknowledge the dedication of these organisations and the resilience of the workers they support. Investing in the care economy, as demonstrated by these initiatives, yields a "quadruple win" by contributing to economic growth, creating jobs, advancing gender equality, and delivering better care services. Through continued investment and advocacy, we can ensure that domestic workers, particularly marginalised women, are no longer undervalued, underpaid, and unprotected, but are recognised as vital contributors to our societies and economies.
You can read more about Kore Global’s work as part of Transforming the Care Economy through Impact Investing page on our website, on the Care Economy Knowledge Hub, and in this blog. You can also listen to Dr Rebecca Calder and Dr Carolina Robino talking about the care economy with Natalia Bonilla on her fantastic Womanhood and International Relations podcast.
Written by Becky Zelikson, Analyst, Kore Global
