The Ivorian government has reaffirmed its commitment to professionalising and formalising domestic work, a vital sector for the national economy and the daily lives of many households.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training, the deputy director of Studies and Development of Social Security, Maurice Grah, reiterated this commitment on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 in Abidjan-Cocody, during the first edition of the DOMEX Awards, held on the margins of the International Day of Domestic Workers.

Initiated by Aurée Services and the Ivorian Association of Private Employment Agency Actors (AIAEP), the DOMEX Awards 2026 aim to support national efforts to professionalise and formalise the domestic sector, in line with the principles of decent work promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The event also marked the 15th anniversary of ILO Convention 189, which came into force in Côte d’Ivoire in 2026 after ratification in April 2025.

“For a long time, domestic work remained insufficiently recognised and largely characterised by informality, exposing many workers to precariousness and a lack of social protection,” Maurice Grah emphasised.

He recalled that the government has made decent work, social inclusion and the extension of social protection national priorities. This commitment was demonstrated by the ratification of Convention 189, which now guarantees domestic workers the same fundamental rights as other employees.

With support from the ILO and social partners, several actions have already been taken, including a national study on the sector conducted in 2024, the development of ten training and certification frameworks in 2025, and ongoing work to adopt a specific regulatory framework including a standard contract, a professional classification and a salary grid aligned with the principles of decent work.

According to the representative of Minister Adama Kamara, these initiatives reflect the government’s desire to sustainably improve the living and working conditions of those in the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the ILO country director, Noëlie Kotty, national coordinator of the AGRIDOM project, welcomed the ratification of Convention 189 and the progress made in formalising the sector. She stated that the DOMEX Awards represent a major opportunity to highlight the contribution of domestic workers while strengthening the promotion of their rights.

For her part, the founder and president of the Association of Domestic Personnel, Annick Désirée Dogba, called for an improvement in the working conditions of domestic employees. “We want our situation to change, because in this field we still face many difficulties,” she declared.

This first edition of the DOMEX Awards brought together representatives from CGECI, trade unions including DIGNITÉ, private employment agencies and many domestic workers.