Nepal, June 15 -- 15 years ago, on a sunny June day in Geneva, millions of domestic workers around the world gained the recognition they had long deserved.

The adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), by the International Labour Conference was a landmark moment. For the first time, domestic work was recognised as work like any other, deserving of the same rights, protections and dignity as other forms of employment.

Domestic workers play a critical role in sustaining families, societies and economies. They clean homes, cook meals, guard households and tend gardens. They care for children, elders and persons with disabilities, enabling millions of others to participate in the labour market and community life.

Yet, de...