Interviewed

Marcolina Infante (Lima, Peru) is a representative of the Domestic Workers Union of the Lima Region and an activist for the rights of domestic workers. She has dedicated years to fighting for the rights of domestic workers, seeking to transform her personal experience into a space of support and justice for others.

A Childhood Interrupted by Work

Marcolina Infante was born in the north of Peru, in a village called Ingenio, in the Piura Department. She grew up in a large family, with a mother who worked at home to support her 12 children. In her adolescence, Marcolina was sent to the city to work in domestic service, marking the beginning of her experience as a child labourer.

"When I was 11, trucks would arrive on Sundays to take the girls to work in the city. I was taken away from the warmth of my home, from my mother's arms, to work in a completely unfamiliar house. That's how my story as a child labourer began."

In a completely different context from her hometown, Marcolina was assigned various household tasks in a very large house, such as cleaning, washing clothes, and taking care of other teenagers like herself. The structure of life in the city and the working conditions were unfamiliar and strange to her, and she was forced to take on adult responsibilities in the midst of puberty.

Violence that Left a Mark

The relationship with the employer family was complex: while Marcolina worked in precarious and violent conditions, her mother was led to believe that she was living under the protection of a home. Marcolina remembers how the employer family even made decisions about her own body.

"As soon as I arrived at the employer's house, they cut my hair without explaining why. Then, they assigned me adult tasks. I slept wherever I could: on cardboard, in the storage room, under the stairs."

In addition to discrimination, Marcolina also experienced harassment and sexual violence at the hands of members of the employer families, but she had no one to offer her protection. Sexual abuse and gender violence were recurring themes in her story, which contributed to her growing distrust of others.

The harsh experiences she lived through left psychological scars that affected her ability to build personal and social bonds. Marcolina developed a defensive attitude, which led her to deeply distrust people and to refuse to work in environments that could replicate the abusive situations she had lived through.

"After that, I was never the same. I learned to distrust, to toughen up."

No Life of Her Own

Marcolina finished school, but her expectations for the future were limited: she had neither the opportunity nor the time to reflect on her personal development. Her life, her plans, her privacy, and her time outside of domestic work were practically nonexistent.

"On Sundays, I could go for a walk for a while, but I didn’t know where to go, and the street scared me. I had no life of my own, nor did I know how to have one. Sometimes, I could only go out with the employer."

Women Building Their Autonomy

The change in Marcolina’s life came when, as a mother, she approached the Institute for the Promotion and Training of Domestic Workers (IPROFOTH) because they offered daycare services for the children of domestic workers. There, she accessed various educational resources, information, and emotional support, which contributed to her personal growth and the rebuilding of her relationships. At IPROFOTH, she learned about her rights and found a space for healing; that’s why she decided to begin her life as a union activist.

"I met the union, I learned, I got involved. I felt that I could finally get out of the mud. I started to love myself, to think about my own life, to accept my scars and work on them."

Activism for Women and Child Workers

Today, Marcolina is an active advocate for the rights of domestic workers and a firm critic of child labour. She demands guarantees for girls to have a protected childhood and for families to receive the necessary support to prevent their daughters from being exploited.

"Girls must be cared for, they must grow up without fear, with real opportunities. That’s their only responsibility."

She emphasizes the importance of eradicating child labour through public policies that include quality education and protection for vulnerable families, especially in rural and remote areas where public services do not reach.

"If we don’t support families, if we don’t educate mothers and fathers, they will continue making decisions without knowing the risks."

For Childhoods Without Child Labour

Marcolina calls on society to ensure that no girl is ever forced to assume adult responsibilities before her time.

"No more sad girls. No more girls with stolen lives. Every stage is important for a person’s development."

Marcolina’s story is a testament to a reality that still persists. Her voice represents thousands of girls who deserve a different story. A story without child labour.