Domestic Workers’ Digital Organizing and Labor Rights Advocacy in Urban Households

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2026 | pp. 183–196

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001358

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Domestic Workers’ Digital Organizing and Labor Rights Advocacy in Urban Households

Names of Author: Lerato Khumalo¹, Fernanda Almeida², & Claire Dubois³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; ²Department of Labor and Social Law, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; ³Department of Political Science, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.

Abstract:
Paid domestic work constitutes one of the largest employment sectors for low-income and migrant women globally, yet the isolated nature of private household workplaces has historically hindered traditional union organizing. Even where national labor statutes extend minimum wage, paid leave, and social security protections to domestic workers, widespread employer non-compliance and fear of summary dismissal prevent workers from asserting their rights. In response, domestic workers’ unions have increasingly adopted mobile messaging groups, digital wage calculators, and online legal clinics to connect isolated workers and document labor abuses. This paper examines digital union organizing strategies among domestic workers in Johannesburg and São Paulo. Grounded in feminist labor geography and digital activism theory, the research draws on 44 interviews with domestic workers and union leaders. We argue that digital solidarity networks transform isolated domestic spaces into sites of collective labor empowerment.

Keywords: Domestic workers, digital organizing, labor rights, feminist labor geography, union activism, precarious employment, South Africa, Brazil

Manuscript Timeline: Received: October 02, 2026; Revised: October 31, 2026; Accepted: November 04, 2026; Published: November 16, 2026.

Citation: Khumalo, L., Almeida, F., & Dubois, C. (2026). Domestic Workers’ Digital Organizing and Labor Rights Advocacy in Urban Households. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(11), 183–196. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001358

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