Her questions, concerns, and personal search all led her to create an organization that would form a support system to help female domestic workers.

Marcelina has led the Support and Training Center for House Workers since 2000. The organization informs female domestic workers of their human and labor rights, human development and professional skills, and the condition of women as laborers. It also addresses discrimination, violence, feminine identity and racism in the shape of workshops and bimonthly seminars that teach women how to professionalize their work, bargain with their employers and value the work they do.

With Semillas’ support, the center has implemented a project educating domestic workers about their sexual and reproductive rights. “Women come from many cultural contexts and in most cases sex is a taboo area,” says Marcelina. “They get to the city with no knowledge of sexuality so we have to train them.” A manual compiles all the information regarding femininity, masculinity, and contraceptives, among others.

The center is also advocating for an amendment to the federal law regarding trafficking in female domestic workers. Thanks to Semillas’ support, it is planning to continue with training seminars and workshops, as well as disseminating leaflets and manuals. Semillas provides the organization with a wide network of contacts in order to publicize the work among other organizations.

As an innovative organization, the center gives voice to domestic workers, not only to defend their rights but also to train them in various professional fields. Marcelina exemplifies the leadership that the Support and Training Center for House Workers – with Semillas’ leadership and support – works to provide. She is also the secretary general of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Domestic Workers, a collaborative network of groups from 11 cou