Support Georgia's Domestic Workers' Union
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Save Georgia's First Domestic Workers' Union
Help Us Keep Fighting
Five years ago, a group of domestic workers in Georgia made a simple and radical decision: instead of facing exploitation alone, we decided to organize.
Domestic workers are among the most invisible and unprotected women workers in the country and in migration. We work inside private homes, scattered across thousands of households, often without contracts, social protection, paid leave, or legal recognition. Because we work behind closed doors, organizing has never been easy.
Yet, against all odds, we built a movement.
We began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when thousands of nannies, caregivers, cleaners, and housekeepers lost their livelihoods overnight and received no government support. We organized emergency relief, distributed food and utility assistance, and reached women wherever we could - in parks, public squares, online groups, and through word of mouth.
Today, we are proud to have built Georgia's first independent Domestic and Care Workers' Labor Union and a growing Association representing more than 700 domestic workers across the country.
Together, we have:
- organized hundreds of workers who had never before belonged to a union;
- helped workers understand and defend their labor rights;
- created Georgia's first model employment contract for domestic workers;
- carried out studies that is shaping public policy on domestic work;
- successfully campaigned for better wages and fairer working conditions;
- established Georgia's first worker-centered employment service for union members, offering fair, transparent, and fee-free job placement as an alternative to exploitative private employment agencies;
- created one of the few spaces where domestic workers can meet, organize, and speak with one voice.
- used art as a tool for organizing by creating spaces for cultural exchange and self-expression for domestic workers. We developed the exhibition Invisible Labor – Invisible Art and exhibited the works of women domestic workers in both Georgia and Italy, challenging the invisibility of care work and amplifying workers' voices.
- expanded our union's work to address labour migration by researching the social protection of Georgian migrant domestic workers and organizing domestic workers employed abroad, helping them build collective networks and strengthen their representation.
But today, our union faces its biggest challenge yet.
An Emergency Caused by Restrictive Laws
Recent legislative changes in Georgia have dramatically restricted the ability of independent civil society organizations and trade unions to access international funding.
As a result, we are facing an immediate financial crisis. This campaign is not about expanding our work. It is about making sure our union survives.
Without emergency support, we risk losing the organizational infrastructure that thousands of workers have spent years building together.
Your donation will help us:
- Keep our union office open
Our office on Tabukashvili Street is not simply an administrative space. It is the headquarters of Georgia's domestic workers' movement - the place where workers seek advice, organize campaigns, hold meetings, and find solidarity. Your support will help us cover the monthly rent and keep this space open.
- Keep six union staff working
Our six staff members coordinate organizing, legal support, communications, research, membership development, and advocacy. They are the people who answer desperate phone calls, organize workplace campaigns, support workers facing abuse, and build our union every single day.
- Continue monthly labor rights meetings
Every month we organize free meetings where domestic workers learn about labor rights, employment contracts, workplace discrimination, and collective organizing. These meetings often become the first step toward workers joining the union and standing up for their rights together.
- Continue organizing for systemic change
We are preparing a nationwide campaign exposing unlawful and exploitative practices by private employment agencies that place domestic workers into informal jobs without contracts or legal protections. These agencies routinely violate both Georgia's Labour Code and international labor standards. We want to change the system—not just individual workplaces.
Why This Union Matters
Domestic worker is women work that have historically been invisible. Without a unionizing, they become invisible again. For many of our members, we are the only organization they trust to defend their rights. We provide legal information, organize collective action, conduct research, advocate for policy reforms, and ensure that domestic workers have a voice in national debates about labor and care.
If our union is forced to scale back because of funding restrictions, years of organizing could disappear, and hundreds of workers would lose their collective representation.
Your contribution is not simply a donation to an organization. It is an investment in workers organizing workers. It is a commitment to protecting the right to organize, to bargain collectively, and to build a more just future for care workers in Georgia.
Every donation - no matter the size - helps keep this movement alive.
Domestic & Care Workers Association and Labor Union of Georgia
4-Month Emergency Survival Budget
Office rent and utilities $900 ($3,600)
Salaries for 6 union staff $4,572 ($18,288)
Total Emergency Budget (4 Months): $21,888
Thank you for standing in solidarity with Georgia's domestic workers.
Organizer
