Abstract:
Domestic workers are one of the most vulnerable workers in the world, being often the targets
of physical, verbal and sexual abuse and experiencing discrimination and marginalization with
regard to pay, working conditions and legal rights. One of the sources of vulnerability of
domestic workers has been lack of recognition as workers and thereby inadequate legal
protection of their rights. The objective of this study is to assess the challenges and prospects
encountered by female working in domestic households in Bishoftu town by taking three sample
kebeles purposively; thereby by which 81 domestic workers were surveyed using convenience
sampling. Besides, primary data had been used through interview, and direct observation. The
finding this study suggested that the working conditions and available legal protection of
domestic workers in the study area had little or no labor rights or protection: they rarely had
clear contractual relations, worked long hours of work, had little or no privacy and were
exposed to verbal, physical and sexual harassment. In addition, they often had low payment as
compared to the workload they accomplish daily. Exclusion of female domestic workers from
the labor law and also being ignored from the list of special groups in the national female
policy of the country were the major factors that contributed to the vulnerability of domestic
workers to violence of labor rights and social justices. The study makes recommendations for
future research and policy that might improve conditions for domestic workers through
formulating a policy that advocate for domestic workers rights, and also capable of creating
awareness among domestic workers so as to break the silence on their major problems facing
them on their day to day life.
