The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is hosting a red carpet event on Oscar night, February 24, 2019, at The Jane Club , a new and innovative women-centric venue in Los Angeles, to honor domestic workers as the true “heroines in our homes.”
Inspired by the film Roma , which has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, event attendees will celebrate the incredible success of the film in shining a light on and sparking a conversation about domestic workers in our country. They will be joined by co-hosts in attendance Tarana Burke, Diane Guerrero, Rashida Jones, Eva Longoria, Olga Segura and Karla Souza. The event will have the support of Alfonso Cuarón as honorary host for this special event, as well as Laura Brown, Laura Dern, and Natalie Portman.
“Domestic workers are the unsung heroines of our families and of our economy, yet they have been written out of our labor laws and overlooked in our culture,” said Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance . “With this awards night event, and thanks to the support of so many brilliant actors, activists and Hollywood luminaries, we will celebrate domestic workers with the humanity and dignity they deserve. And we will celebrate Roma — a film that so prominently centers on the story of an indigenous domestic worker.”
“From TIME’S UP to Roma, one of the greatest fights in our society today is making sure that all working women are treated with dignity and respect,” said actress Laura Dern . “Roma has truly inspired audiences to reflect on the people who care for them. Domestic workers like Cleo are in the center of our lives, but too often at the bottom of our economy and society. We must do our part to ensure they have the respect and recognition they deserve.”
The event, Honoring the Heroines in Our Homes , will welcome press beginning at 2:45 p.m. PST at The Jane Club with the red carpet scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST and the Awards watch party taking place from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST. Special guests will speak throughout the evening and a champagne toast celebrating domestic workers is planned.
In advance of this incredible evening, Rent The Runway is donating 60 designer dresses to be worn to the party by domestic workers and NDWA staff, and opening up their New York City styling studio for personal fittings. MAC Cosmetics will be providing make-up and makeup artists for the event.
In January, NDWA and Participant Media announced a nationwide effort of Roma community screenings for domestic workers and employers in 12 cities, including New York, Chicago, and Seattle, as part of a larger campaign to encourage viewers to take action. Last week, Netflix announced a portion from every theater ticket purchased in the month of February in the U.S. will be donated to NDWA.
Domestic workers are determined to make 2019 their year to win respect, dignity and rights in the workplace. Days after the new Congress was sworn in, domestic worker leaders visited Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers and raise awareness about the first national Domestic Workers Bill of Rights . Set to be introduced later this year, the innovative federal legislation would secure rights for more than two million domestic workers across the United States , the first of its kind on a national scale.
Honoring the Heroines in Our Homes, the National Domestic Workers Alliance Oscar Night Watch Party in celebration of Roma, ultimately aims to effectively spark critical conversations across the country around the domestic workers movement.
To find out more about how to support domestic workers, visit: www.roma.domesticworkers.org.
