24K75IL000009

Award Purpose--despite some progress in labor rights, data on domestic workers in Mexico reveals that their legal rights are not upheld, and few have employment contracts, access to social security or other benefits. Civil society organizations (CSOs), domestic worker unions, and government agencies that could uphold domestic workers rights lack the awareness and capacity to effectively prevent child labor (CL) and forced labor (FL) and to promote the fundamental principles and rights at work (FPRW).

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) in collaboration with its partners Fundación JUCONI, Vértice Querétaro A.C., Instituto de Capacitación para el Trabajo de la Ciudad de México (ICAT), Instituto de Capacitación para el Trabajo del Estado de Querétaro (ICATEQ), and Nosotrxs in coordination with domestic worker unions and in consultation with national and state-level government agencies and domestic worker unions has designed a 48-month, 5 million project titled Project to Address Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Other Labor Violations in Domestic Work in Mexico to address these challenges in Mexico City and Querétaro.

Activities performed deliverables-- PADF will analyze the domestic work ecosystem and the attitudes and behaviors of domestic workers and employers. Based on the results of the research, PADF will work with partners to define and validate an awareness raising strategy before launching a broad campaign to encourage behavior change that leads to compliance with labor laws, reaching 4 million individuals in Mexico City and Querétaro. As a complementary, targeted activity, PADF and partners will conduct outreach to government officials on their obligations to uphold the rights of domestic workers.

To raise awareness amongst hard-to-reach domestic workers from vulnerable communities, PADF will also train community labor rights promoters to conduct peer-to-peer awareness-raising. PADF will also draw on its experience and the results of organizational capacity assessments it will conduct with domestic worker stakeholders to develop a small grants program that funds actions to address CL, FL, and the FPRW. PADF will provide targeted capacity building.

PADF will convene domestic worker stakeholders and government officials to create a working group in each state to promote social dialogue between domestic workers and the government. This working group will also develop and deploy a framework for collecting and disseminating data to inform domestic worker labor policy and practices. PADF and its local partners will provide training to domestic workers in leadership development, professionalization, and soft skills, and adapt and develop tools or strategies that workers and stakeholders can utilize to connect to decent employment. PADF and partners will also provide and support access to legal and social services for domestic workers.

Intended beneficiary--vulnerable populations, including indigenous women, Afro descendants, migrants, single mothers, among others in Mexico City and Querétaro.

Subrecipients subrecipient include Vértice Querétaro, Nosotrxs, and Fundación JUCONI. Vértice and Nosotrxs will receive resources to build their capacity (PADF will apply their OCAT) and continue their work to raise awareness, provide legal and psychosocial support to domestic workers, train domestic workers on leadership and soft skills, and participate in the intersectoral working group in Mexico City and Querétaro. JUCONI will receive resources to build their capacity (PADF will apply their OCAT) and continue their work on advocacy and for issues related to child labor. JUCONI will also provide capacity building to other project partners on child rights and CL. PADF will also identify additional civil society organizations to assess and build organizational capacity to undertake CL FL initiatives among domestic workers through tailored trainings, mentorship, and financial support.

PAN American Development Foundation

OUTCOME 1: AWARENESS OF CHILD LABOR, FORCED LABOR, AND OTHER VIOLATIONS OF FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK IS INCREASED AMONG DOMESTIC WORKERS AND KEY DOMESTIC WORKER STAKEHOLDERS. OUTCOME 2: CAPACITY TO ADDRESS CHILD LABOR AND FORCED LABOR AND TO PROMOTE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK IS STRENGTHENED AMONG KEY DOMESTIC WORKER STAKEHOLDERS. APPLICANTS MUST PROPOSE STRATEGIES TO WORK IN MEXICO CITY AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATES: ESTADO DE MEXICO, PUEBLA, GUANAJUATO, OR QUERETARO. APPLICANTS MUST CONSIDER SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY OF SECURITY SITUATION WHEN PROPOSING STATE(S) TO WORK IN.

17.401 - International Labor Programs

OASAM Office of Grants Management [DOL - OASAM]

Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILA) [DOL]

Mexico

Foreign

Project to Address Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Other Labor Violations in Domestic Work in Mexico (FOA-ILAB-23-29)

Termination This cooperative agreement was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 11/30/27 to 03/27/25.