American Civil Liberties Union

Earlier today, New York Gov. David Paterson signed the first law ever in the United States to give domestic workers the same protections that most other workers have enjoyed for decades. The enactment of the New York Domestic Workers Bill of Rights means that the over 200,000 nannies, in-home caregivers, housekeepers, and other domestic laborers throughout New York State will now finally be guaranteed an eight-hour work day, overtime pay, one day of rest each week, paid vacation days, protection against workplace sexual harassment and racial discrimination, and temporary disability benefits.

A reminder to those of you in the New York area to join us tomorrow at the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for a film screening and discussion about the human rights of domestic workers.

For decades, nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers have been excluded from most U.S. labor protections – a legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and the undervaluation of "women's work." The lack of regula­tion combined with the isolated nature of domestic work makes these women particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses, breeding the global phenomenon of human trafficking.

Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, issued a terrific statement today on the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

CEDAW is the international human rights treaty dedicated to gender equality and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979. Since then, 186 countries have ratified the treaty; the United States is one of only seven countries that have not.