HomeNet International

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In 2018, representatives of HBWs from five regions met in Stockholm, Sweden along with WIEGO. They unanimously decided to take concrete steps to set up a global network of HBWs. An Interim International Working Group with one representative and an alternate from each region was established to steer the process over a two-year period that would culminate with the launch of HomeNet International in 2020. They agreed to an extensive consultative process to ensure home-based workers and through their membership-based organizations fully participate in making decisions about the proposed network. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch and physical Congress that was originally planned for 2020 was postponed. Despite the situation, HomeNet International held it’s first Congress virtually and was officially launched on February 23 and 24, 2021.

Introduction

HomeNet International (HNI) is a global network of membership-based workers’ organizations representing millions of home-based workers (HBWs) around the world. In February 2021, 36 HBW organizations from 20 countries became the first affiliate members to join the organization, representing more than 600 000 HBWs. Currently, HNI represents more than 1.5 million home-based workers, from 71 organizations spread across 30 countries. The network aims to achieve the following: raise visibility and gain recognition of home-based workers (HBWs) as workers, build and provide solidarity amongst HBWs around common issues and use the power of a global voice to influence governments and employers globally.

Key Functions of HNI are:

To raise visibility and gain recognition of home-based workers as workers globally.
To build and provide solidarity amongst HBWs around common issues at the global level.
To work with regional groups to develop effective mechanisms to improve the livelihoods and working conditions of home-based workers.
To use the power of a global voice to influence governments and employers at global, regional, national and local levels
To work towards ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 177 and policies for home-based workers, including implementation of ILO Recommendation 204

The vision of HNI " is for greater visibility and recognition of home-based workers, and a strong, united and representative voice on global platforms, where they effectively engage and challenge those who have power over their working lives, such as governments and employers "

HomeNet International Constitution

Download Constitution – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian