Govt, groups find ways to combat exploitation of migrant women
MANILA, Philippines - About 500 representatives from government agencies and international and local non-government organizations on Thursday participated in a two-day conference in Pasay City to promote the rights of migrant women.
Myrna T. Yao, chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, said one of the goals of the event is to find ways on how countries could be compelled to protect the rights of migrant women who are often victims of exploitation.
“Applying a gender lens to migration patterns can contribute to identifying ways to enhance the positive aspects of migration and mitigate the negative effects, as well as promote gender equality in both sending and receiving countries," she said in a statement.
“Since women are vulnerable to human rights abuses, countries must implement safeguards to protect and promote the rights of women migrants," added Yao, deputy minister of the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development, which will be until Friday at the city’s Hotel Sofitel Philippines Plaza.
Yao said that through the conference, participants are expected to “share their perspectives and experiences, and build partnerships and networks for…women’s rights."
The event is supported by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund, Migrant Forum in Asia, Women and Gender Institute of Miriam College, and Lola Grande Foundation for Women and Children, Inc.
Female migrant workers
There are about 191 million migrant workers worldwide. The American Civil Liberties Union cited a report that about 100 million women, mostly from less-developed countries, leave their homes yearly. Most of them work as overseas domestic helpers to support their families back home.
The United States Department estimates that there are 600,000 to 800,000 people who are being trafficked yearly across international borders. It said 80 percent of these victims are women and girls.
Data from the National Statistics Office showed that the number of documented female overseas workers in the Philippines jumped by 42.2 percent to 539,000 in 2004 from 379,000 in 1995.
On the average, there were 463,400 documented Filipinas who worked abroad yearly from 1995 to 2004. Most of them were deployed to Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
According to Human Rights Watch, a New York-based international organization, the feminization of labor migration is most pronounced in Asia where about 800,000 women workers migrate yearly. HRW said female labor migration “is most marked" in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
The organization said most female migrant workers — who are unable to look for decent jobs in their home countries and are lured by higher wages abroad — are employed in “dirty, difficult, and dangerous jobs," such as maids in private homes. - ARCS, GMANews.TV
Myrna T. Yao, chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, said one of the goals of the event is to find ways on how countries could be compelled to protect the rights of migrant women who are often victims of exploitation.
“Applying a gender lens to migration patterns can contribute to identifying ways to enhance the positive aspects of migration and mitigate the negative effects, as well as promote gender equality in both sending and receiving countries," she said in a statement.
“Since women are vulnerable to human rights abuses, countries must implement safeguards to protect and promote the rights of women migrants," added Yao, deputy minister of the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development, which will be until Friday at the city’s Hotel Sofitel Philippines Plaza.
Yao said that through the conference, participants are expected to “share their perspectives and experiences, and build partnerships and networks for…women’s rights."
The event is supported by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund, Migrant Forum in Asia, Women and Gender Institute of Miriam College, and Lola Grande Foundation for Women and Children, Inc.
Female migrant workers
There are about 191 million migrant workers worldwide. The American Civil Liberties Union cited a report that about 100 million women, mostly from less-developed countries, leave their homes yearly. Most of them work as overseas domestic helpers to support their families back home.
The United States Department estimates that there are 600,000 to 800,000 people who are being trafficked yearly across international borders. It said 80 percent of these victims are women and girls.
Data from the National Statistics Office showed that the number of documented female overseas workers in the Philippines jumped by 42.2 percent to 539,000 in 2004 from 379,000 in 1995.
On the average, there were 463,400 documented Filipinas who worked abroad yearly from 1995 to 2004. Most of them were deployed to Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
According to Human Rights Watch, a New York-based international organization, the feminization of labor migration is most pronounced in Asia where about 800,000 women workers migrate yearly. HRW said female labor migration “is most marked" in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
The organization said most female migrant workers — who are unable to look for decent jobs in their home countries and are lured by higher wages abroad — are employed in “dirty, difficult, and dangerous jobs," such as maids in private homes. - ARCS, GMANews.TV
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