There are 2.4 million domestic workers in Mexico. Nearly all of them are women, who on any given day could be a cook, a gardener, a babysitter, a teacher, a cleaner—or all of the above. They are essential workers who keep Mexico’s better-off families running.
But many domestic workers face abuse and exploitation on a daily basis. Many of them face long hours for low pay. Marcelina Bautista became a domestic worker at 14 years old. Fed up with the poor conditions and lack of protections, she started CACEH, the country’s first-ever union for domestic workers. This is the story of their impact over the last 20 years.
