Ms. Sreymom Yong, a domestic worker in Phnom Penh for over 5 years, advocates for better conditions for domestic workers. She believes that the NSSF card offers more benefits than private insurance, including healthcare, employment injury coverage, and pension benefits. Sreymom convinced her employer to register and pay her NSSF contributory fee. She is one of around 240,000 domestic workers in Cambodia (ILO 2018) who play a significant role in household income and poverty reduction efforts.

Like other women in the informal economy, domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to the risks of income insecurity and health issues, discrimination, unsafe and insecure working conditions, often low and volatile incomes. If they stay home with their employer for 24 hours, they face abuse, have no time to rest, lack proper nutrition, and health problems. Those who stay outside their own rented room have problems commuting at night, long distances in the rain, and instability in income and mental health, including physically unhealthy due to discrimination, insecurity and instability of working conditions, low income and limited freedom of association.

Domestic employment is of equal value to other types of labours and therefore deserves equal access rights to the social protection system and services, freedom of association, so that they too can enjoy the same benefits as other workers in Cambodia, without leaving them behind.

“Oxfam and our partners urge the Royal Government of Cambodia to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers’ rights to decent work and take necessary steps to support national implementation if the RGC is to realize Cambodia’s Sustainable Development Goals and its ambition to become an upper middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.”

On June 16, 2024, Oxfam and the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) organized International Domestic Workers’ Day on “Value Caregivers and Domestic Workers” in Phnom Penh to commemorate the rights of domestic workers and their situation and challenges, while sharing information and experiences on social protection policies and practices. This forum was an opportunity to formulate suggestions for further measures and policy interventions by government ministries and lawmakers.

There were approximately 270 participants including street vendors, representatives of household employers, members of transport workers, representatives from the government of Cambodia and development partners.
During her remarks, Ms. Sophoan Phean, Oxfam National Director, emphasized the vital role of domestic workers in the economy and society. She highlighted their contribution to employment, family income, and social development, and the importance of providing domestic workers with fair working conditions and full protection.

Mr. Pov Von, President of IDEA, shared the organization’s efforts since 2005 to improve labor conditions for domestic workers. IDEA is currently leading the Cambodian Domestic Workers Network, comprising 20 groups, to initiate appropriate dialogues with relevant government agencies and household employers for greater recognition of their rights and access to social protection and decent living conditions.