Topic: 2024-Unpaid Care and Domestic Work
Country: Belgium
Delegate Name: Melanie Milam
Committee: ECOSOC
Topic: Unpaid care and domestic work
Country: Belgium
Delegate: Melanie Milam
School: Williamston High School
The delegation of Belgium acknowledges that unpaid care and domestic work are vital to the functioning of societies around the world. These forms of work, carried out primarily by women have been unseen in social frameworks for centuries. Globally, this form of work is done by women who dedicate endless hours each day to tasks such as household work and taking care of children and/or elderly people without financial compensation or recognition. According to the International Labor Organization, women take on 72% of total hours of unpaid work and domestic care. Belgium recognizes unpaid care and domestic work as demanding and important issues.
Belgium considers that domestic work and unpaid care predominantly fall on women, as women represent the large majority of domestic workers both paid and unpaid. These women provide essential services for not only children but also elderly people, and those with disabilities. Despite the work women are faced with, they also deal with inferior working conditions, informal arrangements, and low pay. Belgium has made it a priority to move forward in addressing these issues through social policies and reforms. For instance, in 2019 Belgium began a reform with the desire to improve the rights and conditions of domestic workers. Belgium also supports ambitions that motivate genders to share care responsibilities and the idea that care work should be distributed more equitably.
Belgium would like to put forward the following key principles: recognition and value for care work, strengthening legal protections, and equal sharing of responsibilities revolving around domestic care. Belgium wants to recognize domestic care both paid and unpaid as a vital piece of global economic and social development. Belgium strongly supports the development of public awareness campaigns for the promotion of shared responsibilities in domestic work and the importance of domestic workers. Belgium would also like to establish standards that protect domestic workers; this includes labor rights and clear contracts, as well as social protection to stop exploitation and discrimination. Lastly, the delegation of Belgium urges international organizations such as UN Women and the International Labor Organization to provide assistance and resources to all Member states as well as initiatives and strategies for addressing unpaid care and domestic work.
Works Cited:
https://www.ilo.org/
https://picum.org/blog/undocumented-domestic-workers-go-on-first-ever-strike-in-brussels-belgium/
