Thousands of women in Nepal from the marginalized communities are engaged in domestic and care work– roles that are vital to families and the economy yet remain undervalued and
unprotected. They face systematic exclusion, poor working conditions and have very limited
recognition of rights. The project, “Valuing Women’s Work (VWW)” aims to address the
challenges faced by Domestic Women Workers (DWW) by amplifying their voices, enhancing
leadership and promoting their economic as well as social rights. This project focused on the
wider ranges of action- from supporting to develop new skills building, self-employment
schemes, media advocacy, and engagement of policy makers and related stakeholders. Key
activities included: regular meetings of the Advisory Committee; skill trainings and self-
employment support for DWWs; media advocacy and orientation sessions for journalists;
podcasts and digital storytelling to raise awareness; dialogues with parliamentarians and
ministries; and national and local-level discussions to influence policy particularly around unpaid
and domestic care work and the ratification of ILO Convention 189. All of the key activities
together have been planned and executed for enhancing the efforts for recognition, protection
and empowerment of DWW. With recognition, it is crucial to build an inclusive and sustainable
economic system. Against the backdrop, the project VWW, emerged as a transformative step
towards justice and visibility for Domestic Women Workers (DWW) in Nepal.
To raise awareness about the challenges faced by domestic workers and highlight their
contribution
To share the current status of domestic and unpaid care work
To foster collaboration among CSOs, local government bodies and national political
parties to develop and implement a national action plan aimed at enhancing the rights and
welfare of domestic workers