The formalization of paid domestic work in Uruguay and Argentina: lessons and challenges to public health

Abstract

In Latin America, 15% of women are paid domestic workers. Being a job without social security or labor rights, almost 80% of this work is done informally. In this sense, the health of these domestic workers should be considered at least under three aspects: precarization of work, social inequality, and gender inequality. Before the need for regulatory frameworks aimed at reducing health inequalities among informal workers, Argentina and Uruguay promoted the enactment of labor laws regarding paid domestic work. This study describes the experiences of both countries, considering the scope and impact of this formalization process on health. The results indicate that formalizing paid domestic work had but a limited impact, with difficulties in applying the traditional model of paid work protection. This legitimation of labor rights may also pose more challenges and tensions for public health and occupational health, which are worsened in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.