Abstract:

According to ILO there are an estimated 67.1 million domestic workers globally, of which 11.5 million are migrant domestic workers. The sector is highly female-dominated, at approximately 73.4 percent of all migrant domestic workers. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, there are approximately 121,000 domestic workers in Turkey. However, as a high number also work in the informal economy, the true figure can be assumed to be much higher. It is known that migrant domestic workers in Turkey usually work through private employment agencies, and the aim of this research has been to identify specific problems experienced by female migrant domestic workers engaged by these employment agencies in Istanbul. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has been no specific research investigating the problems experienced by female migrant domestic workers employed by private employment agencies. This research is aimed at being a step towards filling this gap.

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