April 27 is Domestic Workers' Day, a day of affirmation of the struggle for rights of the 5.9 million Brazilian women who exercise the profession and, with their work, sustain Brazil.

On this date the ELAS Fund launches the series Domestic Workers: Rights and Challenges - A Conversation with Creuza Oliveira. Every week we will publish excerpts from interviews with the general secretary of the National Federation of Domestic Workers (Fenatrad) on the category's struggle for rights, a struggle that the ELAS Fund accompanies, supports and strengthens.

We start with the history of the movement. Did you know that, although the profession only received legal recognition in 1972 (at first with very few labour rights), the organization of domestic workers is more than 80 years old?

Creuza Oliveira tells us a little of this story: 

History of the struggle for domestic workers' rights 

The organization of domestic workers is more than 80 years old. The first association was created in 1936 by Ms. Laudelina de Campos Mello in Santos (SP). 

Laudelina was a woman ahead of her time, who managed to mobilize domestic workers, not with a political movement, but with actions such as debutante parties and other movements. 

When President Getúlio Vargas approved the CLT, Mrs. Laudelina even went to talk to Getúlio's ministers so that domestic workers would be included in the CLT - which did not happen, we only won the first law in 1972. 

This first law (Law 5.859/72) brought the right to a signed contract, 20 days of vacation and social security contribution - at that time even to collect social security had to present a criminal record certificate to be enrolled in the system. 

The struggle continued and, in 1988, we were included in the Federal Constitution and became entitled to the minimum wage, 13th salary, Sundays off. Vacations continued to be 20 days, we fought hard for 30 days of vacation, because every worker had the 30 days, but the labor justice continued to say that it was 20 days for domestic workers, one or another boss or boss who released us for 30 days. 

The problem of child domestic work 

Before Law 150/2015, known as PEC das Domésticas, there were several PECs, until the definition of law 150 was reached. It was a tiring and exhausting process within the National Congress. It is important, however, to remember that before reaching the PEC there was a discussion about domestic child labor.  

This was not said before, there was no discussion of child and youth domestic work. The idea was that the child who was in domestic work was protected, in the bosom of a family. Our organization began to show society that these children were at risk. Outside the family, outside school, they suffered all kinds of violence. We knew this from our experience. 

So the ILO takes on a survey to find out the situation of child domestic work and des