IOM and its role with women migrant workers

The INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration, and it was established in 1951.

IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

Retrieved October 24, 2010, from: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/about-iom/lang/en

Almost half of the total number of migrant workers in the world today are women. While women have always migrated as accompanying spouses and family members, contemporary migration dynamics have shown a considerable increase in the number of women migrating independently of their families to pursue opportunities of their own. On a global scale, a significant number of women migrant workers are employed in low skilled occupations but they are also present in skilled welfare and social professions such as health, education and social services (traditionally female dominated domains). Among these, most women migrant workers are found in the nursing sector.

Labour migration may benefit women through economic as well as socio-cultural empowerment. Unfortunately, the migration experience is not always safe for women migrant workers. Due to their dual vulnerability as migrants and women, they are still disproportionately affected by a variety of risks arising from their mobility. During every stage of their migratory experience, women migrant workers may be more exposed to human rights violations compared to their male counterparts. They frequently have to deal with difficult living and working conditions, increased health risks, a lack of access to social services and various forms of abuse such as the confiscation of passports by their employers.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) through its gender mainstreaming policy is committed to ensuring that the particular needs of all migrant women are identified, taken into consideration and addressed by IOM projects and services.

In order to create an environment conducive to safe and empowering migration, IOM recommends that women migrant workers have the same access to protection and safety at work and to legal redress mechanisms as the domestic workforce. Policy-makers, practitioners and the public need to be better informed about the vulnerability of women migrant workers, including their vulnerability to discrimination, exploitation and abuse throughout all stages of the labour migration process.

IOM actively contributes to protecting women migrant workers from violence by implementing a range of

activities in the following areas:

􀁹 Promotion of legal and safe migration for women migrant workers

􀁹 Promotion of policies that regulate the recruitment and deployment of women migrant workers

􀁹 Promotion and protection of women migrant workers’ human rights

􀁹 Counter-trafficking activities including capacity-building and direct assistance to victims

􀁹 Research and data collection on women and international labour migration

􀁹 Promotion of gender-sensitive international migration policies

􀁹 Fostering interstate dialogue and enhancing bilateral, regional, interregional and international cooperation

Retrieved October 24, 2010, from: http://www.gemmaproject.eu/publicdocs/prevent_violence_against_wmw_2009.pdf

1. image retrieved from: http://www.mikeldunham.blogs.com/mikeldunham/2010/04/nepali-women-migrant-workers-and-the-dangers-they-face.html