Part I International laws and mechanisms • that private employment agencies not charge directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any fees or costs to workers (article 7) • that member States provide adequate protection for, and prevent abuses of, migrant workers recruited or placed in its territory by private employment agencies, including laws or regulations which provide for penalties, including prohibition of private employment agencies which engage in fraudulent practices and abuses (article 8(1)) • that member States ensure that child labour is not used or supplied by private employment agencies (article 9) • provisions for adequate mechanisms to deal with complaints, abuses and fraudulent practices of private employment agencies (article 10) • adequate remedies including penalties for violations of the Convention (article 14(3)). The Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 – also known as the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers – is a landmark standard that aims to protect and improve the lives and working condition of domestic workers worldwide. The ILO estimates that there are around 53 to 100 million domestic workers, the vast majority of whom are women and girls.112 Migrant workers make up a large proportion of domestic workers and their earnings represent a significant proportion of remittances to developing countries. Migrant domestic workers can be at high risk of exploitation and abuses. Partly because domestic work is “invisible”, domestic workers are undervalued, overworked and unprotected. Migrant domestic workers can experience a range of human rights violations, ranging from excessive recruitment fees and confiscation of passports, through to forced labour, trafficking, sexual exploitation and rape. In giving legal recognition to domestic work as “work”, the Convention grants protections to domestic workers that are commensurate to other workers, such as reasonable hours of work, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, limitations on in-kind payment and clear information on terms and conditions of employment. It also includes provisions regarding fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, and that a written work contract is provided before the migrant travels to the country of destination. Member States are also required to provide clear rules and regulations on private employment agencies to prevent fraudulent and abusive practices. 2.3. ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration The ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration, adopted in March 2006, is a non-binding instrument that promotes a rights-based approach to labour migration and protection for migrant workers. It was developed in response to the absence of a multilateral process to govern labour migration and to mitigate some of the associated problems, such as the exploitation of migrants, the growth of irregular migration and the “brain drain” on developing countries.113 The framework contains comprehensive principles and guidelines in relation to labour migration and provides practical guidance to Governments. While the framework is non-binding, member States are urged to promote and respect the framework as a way of fostering coherence and consistency in migration policy at the national, regional and international level. A key focus of the framework is to ensure equality for, and improve protection of, migrant workers and to prevent disadvantage or exploitation. It applies to all migrant workers and seeks to improve the circumstances of especially vulnerable groups. The framework emphasizes the special position of women, who make up half of all migrant workers and often migrate alone. 112 Global and regional estimates on domestic workers; Domestic Work, Policy Brief No 4; ILO; 2011; pp. 6-9. 113 ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration: Non-binding principles and guidelines for a rights-based approach to labour migration; ILO; 2006; p. v. Chapter 4: The International Labour Organization and migrant workers | 45