8 ILC110/III/(B) – Securing decent work for nursing personnel and domestic workers, key actors in the care economy Table of contents IX. Equality of opportunity and treatment 205 1. The undervaluation of nursing 206 2. Gender pay gap 207 3. Addressing gender inequalities 208 4. Leadership 209 7. Domestic workers: Definitions and scope of application 211 I. Background 212 II. Rationale for the domestic workers instruments 213 III. Scope of application of the instruments 215 1. Definition of domestic work and domestic workers (a) Domestic work 215 219 (i) Place of work: In or for a household or several households (ii) Type of work performed (iii) Exclusion of occasional or sporadic work not performed on an occupational basis (b) Domestic worker (i) Domestic work and the employment relationship (ii) Defining the live-in relationship 219 220 222 224 224 228 2. The employer 229 3. Exclusion of limited categories of workers (a) Most commonly excluded categories of domestic workers (b) The au pair exception 231 231 236 4. Scope of application of labour laws: Ensuring effective legal coverage 240 8. Fundamental principles and rights at work of domestic workers 247 I. Ensuring decent work for all domestic workers 248 II. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining 249 III. Eradication of forced labour 249 1. Domestic slavery and servitude 252 2. Trafficking in persons 255 3. Enhanced risk of exploitation, abuse and forced labour of specific groups of domestic workers (a) The particular vulnerability of migrant domestic workers (b) Specific risks faced by migrant women and girls (c) Domestic workers in diplomatic households 256 256 257 258 4. Rights and obligations in the domestic work sector regarding termination of employment 259 Effective abolition of child labour 260 1. Setting a minimum age for employment in domestic work 263 2. Employment of children below the general minimum age in “light work” in domestic work 264 IV.