Retiring women compete to keep international domestic worker (9)
I believe the answer is:
nursemaid
'domestic worker' is the definition.
'retiring women compete to keep international' is the wordplay.
'retiring' says the letters should be written backwards.
'women' becomes 'dames' (dame is a kind of woman**).
'compete' becomes 'run' (running is a kind of competing).
'to keep' indicates putting letters inside.
'international' becomes 'i' (abbreviation eg in IMF).
'dames'+'run'='damesrun'
'damesrun' enclosing 'i' is 'diamesrun'.
'diamesrun' written backwards gives 'NURSEMAID'.
(Other definitions for nursemaid that I've seen before include "child minder" , "Be overprotective towards (someone)" , "her charges are small" , "employ one for small charge" , "caretaker" .)