In Tanzania, the labor of those who cook, clean, and care within private homes has long unfolded in a space the law has struggled to reach. A 2025 study by the Mwanza-based NGO WoteSawa has given shape to what many suspected: that nearly half of domestic workers endure some form of abuse, and fewer than one in ten hold a written contract. The organization, which has sheltered over 2,000 survivors since 2012, is now calling on the Tanzanian government to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention — a step that would bring the invisible labor of the home into the same legal light as any other wo
NGO reveals widespread exploitation of domestic workers in Tanzania, calls for stronger protections
Over 2,000 survivors of exploitation have received protection services; 43% of domestic workers report experiencing emotional, economic, physical or sexual abuse; vulnerable populations face human trafficking risks.