From dead letter to functional policy? Domestic workers' rights and “disformality” in Peru

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which Peru's Law No. 31047/2020, which grants paid domestic workers full legal rights and social protection, has improved workers' access to contracts and rights. We analyse data from Peru's National Household Survey and present insights from interviews with five employers and a focus group of 11 workers. These complement statistical findings regarding the law's implementation, challenges and policy suggestions. We find that workers' rights have largely not been upheld owing to both the State's poor enforcement of the legislation and employer non-compliance, a situation enabled by Peru's socio-economic “disformality”.