Feminisation of migration: Trends and concerns

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Feminisation of migrationTrends and concerns

• Naheed M Ahmed
• UNIFEM
• International Conference on Gender Migration and
  Development (ICGMD)
• Manila
• 25-26 September, 2008

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Content

• Overview
• Jobs for women
• Empowerment vs vulnerability
• Working towards a gender sensitive migration
  management
• Conclusion

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Feminisation of labour migration in Asia
salient features

• Since late 1970s, women constitute an increasing
  proportion of migrant labour force. From 15 in
  1976 it grew to 50 in 2000 in Asia Latin
  America.
• In Asia, for some countries the number of Women
  migrant workers exceed that of male workers.
• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Sri Lanka

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Salient featurescontd

• Emergence of new sites of origin and employment.
  E.g. Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Lao PDR as
  origin and Brunei, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia as
  employment
• Most of them migrate alone to support their
  families
• Concentration in low paid, low skilled
  women-oriented work e.g.,
• Domestic workers
• Nurses
• Service workers
• Entertainers
• Factory workers

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Salient features..contd

• Highlighting of increased remittance for family
  although sex-disaggregated data on remittance are
  not widely available
• Remittance by low skilled workers has a direct
  link with poverty reduction

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Feminisation is likely to continue

• Demand for cheap labour
• Obedient worker
• Ageing of population in rich countries
• Increased participation of women in the labour
  force in both countries of orgin and employment
• Increased poverty, insecurity of livelihoods,
  work burden and discriminatory cultural practices
  and violence
• Desire for a better living standard

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Vulnerability of women migrant workers

• Multiple forms of discrimination
• As woman compared to a man
• As a foreigner compared to a national
• As a low skilled worker in an often isolated work
  environment
• Discrimination, exploitation, abuse at all stages
  of migration
• At recruitment
• While in employment
• On return at home country

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Empowering the women migrant workers

• Simplifying yet regularising the migrant womens
  departure with adequate and accurate information
• Bilateral agreements between the governments of
  sending and receiving countries ensuring their
  rights and safety
• Gender sensitive rights perspective overseas
  employment policies in both sending and receiving
  countries
• Compliance to the international human rights
  frameworks and instruments
• Adequate skills training before placement abroad

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Critical concerns for women migrant workers

• Exploitative terms of work
• Restrictions on freedom of movement and to get
  organized for rights
• Labour market discrimination
• Isolated 3D work
• Gender based violence at workplace
• Reintegration and opportunities for reinvestment
  at home
• Limited upward social mobility
• Lack of Market oriented skills development (MOSD)
  for women
• Traditional household dynamics

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Looking forward.

• Implementation of all relevant international
  instruments to protect the rights of women
  migrant workers
• Recognition of certain jobs, skills as work
• Ensure regular and safe migration for women
• Enforcement of legislation/policies to prevent
  abuse including trafficking

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Looking forwardcontd

• Recognition of womens visibility in overseas
  employment and remittance through gender
  disaggregated data
• Adoption implementation of gender sensitive and
  rights based migration approach both nationally
  and globally
• Diversification of marketable skills for women
• Potentiality for upward social mobility for women
  

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Thank you!