The case of the 8 -year -old Bolivian girl who was sold by her grandmother is not isolated, or distant. In Rengo, O’Higgins region, a similar situation occurred. A minor woke up at 4 in the morning, did not go to school, and did not receive salary. That did not happen a century ago. It happened in Chile, in the middle of 2025. Moreover, only one week ago.
And although this case moved the entire country, the truth is that it is not an isolated event. It is an extreme reflection of what, on a smaller scale, continues to occur daily: girls, boys and adolescents working in private homes, under excuses such as “is helping aunt” or “we have because we are sorry.”
In Chile, according to estimates by the National labor Organization and Local Studies, there are more than 360,000 children and adolescents doing domestic work, in conditions that often escape any regulation or supervision.
In fact, it is one of the most invisible and normalized child labor forms. Because? Because doors inside, far from the public eye. Unlike a child who sells in the street or works in a workshop, in domestic work the cover -up is justified with affection: “help us”, “live with us”, “does not work, is accompanying.”
In Chile, it has been identified that many girls and adolescents, especially migrants or rural sectors, are inserted in homes to take care of boys, cook, clean, many times without remuneration or under minimum conditions.
We see informality every day, but disguised as “trust”:
● Employers who have been without a contract for months or years, because they believe that “it is only for while.”
● Cases where pension contributions have not been paid for years, or “paid for the minimum”, directly affecting the worker’s retirement.
● The “agreement between parties” of not formalizing, so as not to lose the bonds of the State.
● People who believe that because a person helps them 1 time per week does not need to regularize.
● Cases where girls or adolescents help take care of other bushes or clean as part of the “family treatment.”
The hardest thing is that many employers have no bad intention, but absolute ignorance of the law and its obligations. And that does not exempt them from responsibility.
In this problem, technology can be the best ally to close the door to informality. Platforms such as Domestikco allow to formalize a labor relationship in minutes: generate contracts, calculate salaries, register days, pay quotes, manage licenses or disconnections, in a transparent and traceable way. when a labor bond is digitized, there is no room to hide errors or abuse. Everything is registered, and that protects both the worker and the employer.
In the case of minors, technology can also fulfill a preventive role: for example, blocking hiring if data from minors are entered, or sending alerts if irregular patterns are detected. Technology does not only mean automating, it means putting clear rules to a relationship that, for years, was handled outside the law.
So that these situations are not repeated we need political will and coordinated action.
● The State must strengthen its supervisory and educational role, investing in campaigns that reach homes where these practices occur.
● The private initiative, especially from the Tech world, must contribute with tools that make easy and difficult the informal.
Today in Chile, 70% of private home employers do not have their employment relationship formalized. That is not reversed only with more laws, but with real and accessible solutions.
From Domestikco we are convinced that, if the State supports, visible or even integrates technologies such as ours, you can take a quantum leap in the eradication of child domestic work and work informality.
Because it is not enough to indign us when the story reaches the media. You have to act before it happens again.
I like this:
I like Charging…
