At the inaugural DOMEX Awards ceremony on June 16th in Cocody, the Ivorian government and industry professionals reaffirmed their commitment to formalizing domestic work. The objective is clear: to bring this profession out of the informal sector and guarantee workers rights equivalent to those in other sectors.

Representing the Minister of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training, Maurice Grah reiterated the urgent need to integrate decent work into the heart of national social policies.

A profession in search of recognition and guidance

Domestic work in Côte d'Ivoire remains largely informal, depriving many workers of social protection and exposing them to precarious situations. To address this, the State is relying on major legal and structural levers:

1. ILO Convention No. 189: Ratified in April 2025 and entering into force in 2026, it enshrines equal rights for domestic workers.
2. Professionalization (2024-2025): A national study has made it possible to draw up an inventory, followed by the creation of 10 training and certification frameworks.
3. A regulatory framework under construction: The authorities are currently finalizing a standard contract, a professional classification and an appropriate salary scale.

The DOMEX Awards: Celebrating and raising awareness

Initiated by Aurée Services and the Ivorian Association of Private Employment Agency Actors (AIAEP), the DOMEX Awards event coincided with the 15th anniversary of ILO Convention No. 189.

“These ongoing reforms are helping to give domestic workers a new visibility.” — Noëlie Kotty , representative of the country director of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The event brought together private agencies, trade unions and private sector players, all unanimous on the need to continue regulatory efforts.

The cry from the heart of the workers

Despite these institutional advances, the reality on the ground remains complex. Annick Désirée Dogba, president of the Association of Domestic Staff, spoke on behalf of those most directly affected: "We would like our situation to change, because in this sector, we still face many difficulties."

There remains a strong expectation regarding the concrete application of these measures to finally offer domestic workers the social consideration and job security they deserve.