In The Gambia, 85.9% of domestic workers have no written contract
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Foroyaa
In The Gambia, 85.9% of domestic workers have no written contract, according to Fatima Diallo, head of the Centre for Research and Action for Development and Human Rights. She also said that 75.7% lack social security coverage and half have experienced gender-based abuse or violence, at a workshop on their rights.
In The Gambia, 85.9% of domestic workers have no written employment contract, leaving them exposed to legal insecurity and exploitation, said Fatima Diallo, executive director of the Centre for Research and Action for Development and Human Rights (CRADESC). She was speaking at a national workshop on ratifying the International Labour Organization convention on domestic workers, organised by Gambia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Foroyaa reports.
A study conducted under the Strategic Support Project for Domestic Workers (PASTDOM) also found that 75.7% have no social security coverage and 96% receive no medical assistance from their employer when they fall ill. According to Fatima Diallo, 96.6% are not members of a trade union, while 50.6% say they have experienced gender-based violence or abuse.
The researcher also reported that 26.1% of the women interviewed had been dismissed after becoming pregnant. She raised concerns about girls as young as 12 to 15 being employed in households other than their own, often without adequate protection, according to Foroyaa.
Across West Africa, domestic work involves around 1.119 million people, 77.3% of them women. It accounts for 7.5% of women’s paid employment, with an informality rate of 97.9%, Fatima Diallo added, calling for the sector to be recognised as an essential part of the care economy.
