Women Migrant Workers Speaking Up for Occupational Health, Social Protection and Wellbeing
An online side event during the 12th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Indigenous Peoples Major Group (IPMG), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights have successfully conducted an online side event during the 12th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) last February 27.
The side event tackled the situation of women migrant workers - especially Indigenous women migrant workers - to understand their situation in the midst of intensified economic crises; their ability to practice their culture; and the lack of access to all kinds of services and social protection. During his opening remarks, Rey Asis of APMM mentioned the need to foster an environment where women migrant workers are able to speak and meaningfully engage for themselves in spaces that champion and enshrine their rights, wellbeing and dignity, especially for those coming from Indigenous communities.
Speakers from the UN and civil society, along with the participants, engaged in a meaningful discussion unpacking the challenges brought about by migration to Indigenous women and how to address these through a migrant-centered lens.
Grounding on Indigenous women’s and civil society experiences
Indigenous migrant women are not strangers to enduring the eccentricities of employers, the culture shock in the receiving country, and the limitations they face to fully practice their own culture. This is what Josie Pingkihan, a former Indigenous women migrant and Deputy Secretary of Migrante International highlighted during the side-event. In addition to social conditions that are difficult to navigate, Josie also mentioned the reality of migrant workers suffering from poor health conditions as their health insurance is not enough to cover particular illnesses or because of the fear of losing their jobs. Looking out for themselves is also not a choice for many migrant women because many of them have to earn enough to pay mandatory fees to agencies and consular services. With the many difficulties that migrants have to face in and outside of their home countries, Josie emphasized that the sending government should intervene by providing holistic health and welfare services that are gender-responsive and migrant-centred, along with stronger social protection mechanisms that truly leave no one behind.
Meanwhile, Asel Dunganaeva, co-founder of the public foundation JIPAR from Kyrgyzstan, part of the Central Asia Network on Migration, and member of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), shared about their persistent advocacy effort targeting the parliament, the Ministry of Labor, and other government bodies that led to the inclusion of migrant women’s recommendations in proposed labor code reforms. The new labor code introduces mandatory employment contracts and strengthens the role of trade unions and women’s organizations of migrants. Migrant workers will now be able to access healthcare services both in their places of residence and their places of work. Some essential medicines and treatments, particularly for pregnant women, will also be available free of charge. However, Asel strongly asserts that to ensure the effective implementation of policies and the protection of women migrants, there is a need for strong monitoring and evaluation mechanisms..
On the side of APMM, Rey Asis shared about migrants’ engagement with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). He proudly mentioned that beyond the official GCM mechanisms, migrants and refugees have been actively shaping conversations around migration. Rey expounded on the migrant and refugee indicators that were crafted together by migrants, refugees, and advocates through a regional workshop last November as a response to the ones established in the GCM. The indicators are a manifestation of how migrants and refugees see the relevance of the GCM and the Agenda 2030. The GCM could be an instrument in addressing the challenges faced by governments and all stakeholders in managing migration, but continues to have a limited engagement with migrants, Rey said.
The need for an elevated response from the UN and governments
Until today, the state of migration has yet to truly encompass the needs of people on the move. The IOM is one of the primary mediators in terms of assessing migration-related issues and solutions, and putting forward responses to these.
Geertrui Lanneau, Senior Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion Specialist at the IOM expressed that as a UN agency, it engages in advocacy and policy, working closely with member states to address the issues and challenges faced by migrants. For example, she said, “we may do research, we may engage in policy or advocacy and debates such as this side event, but also directly with the member states, whether it's through ASEAN or through the Colombo process or any other forums.” IOM believes in the importance of promoting safe, fair and equal labor migration opportunities for migrant women and to empower them. Aside from that, Lanneau also mentioned other possible advocacy spaces such as ASEAN Forum on Migration Labor (AFML) and the GCM.
Pichamon Yeophantong, Vice Chair and Member of the Asia-Pacific States in the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, is currently leading the development of the Working Group’s thematic report on labour migration, business and human rights to the 80th UN General Assembly happening in October this year. The report is interested in seeking to take stock of the extent to which states and businesses are upholding their respective duty and responsibility to protect and respect the human rights of migrant workers in a cross-border context in line with the UN guiding principles on business and human rights, and other relevant instruments including the GCM. They are currently collecting inputs from different stakeholders until April 30. Such an initiative is a welcome effort by the UN given its mandate to uphold open and democratic spaces for civil society and grassroots organizations working towards people-led social transformation.
Continue raising the voices of migrants in the region!
The side-event was concluded by Robbie Hallip, Coordinator of the IPMG for Sustainable Development and the Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous People. She emphasized that the social and cultural particularities that Indigenous women possess should always be considered in both sending and receiving countries. Robbie reiterated the reality of migrant women having to confront the burden of being detached from the collective way of life in their communities, and their ability to enrich and practice their identities overseas. Ultimately, she called on duty bearers to address the needs and priorities of migrants anywhere they go and to extensively tackle the root causes of migration.
