PRESS RELEASE

Voices of women migrants heard, NGOs to use international treaty to promote the rights of women migrant workers

United Nations, Bangkok – 18 December 2006

“My employer forced me to work 20 hours per day. I had insufficient food to eat, I was shouted at and my employer looked down on Khmer people, comparing us to pigs. I escaped and went to my agency…they detained me in a cell with many other foreign women for 10 days until my family could borrow money to pay for my ticket home.”

‘Lyn’, Cambodian migrant domestic worker in Malaysia

Non-governmental organizations and women migrant workers from Asia and the Middle East met in Bangkok for three days to discuss ways to address women migrant workers rights through using an international treaty, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

About 60 participants from twelve countries; Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR (China), Indonesia, Jordan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, all of which have signed and ratified CEDAW, attended the “Regional NGO Workshop Addressing Women Migrants Rights through CEDAW”, organized by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which aims to enhance understanding of the application of CEDAW to address the concerns of women migrants.

Civil society organizations, migrant trade unions and organizations pledged action at national and regional level to highlight instances of discrimination and abuse faced by migrant workers, such as ‘Lyn’, and to encourage governments to take action. A joint statement was issued concluding the three-day meeting entitled “Statement from the Regional NGO Workshop Addressing Women Migrants Rights Through CEDAW.”

Participants expressed concern that despite the existence of a number of international human rights instruments and standards, violations of women migrant workers’ rights continue to occur. This was acknowledged in the 36th Session of the CEDAW Committee held in August 2006 in New York.

Under the joint NGO statement, participants recognized CEDAW as the second most widely ratified UN treaty. They pledged to continue to advocate for State Parties to CEDAW to honour and abide by their obligations under this Convention and other international human rights instruments.

The joint NGO statement urged State Parties to CEDAW to consider the economic contributions of all women migrants in both countries of origin and destination, as well as adoption of State measures to protect migrants from discrimination and violence. It further called for a recognition of domestic work as work, through labour legislation and other measures, and for the importance of adopting government-to-government agreements, including standard employment contracts to protect women migrant workers’ rights.

Meeting participants also urged the CEDAW Committee to adopt a comprehensive General Recommendation 27 on Women Migrants, and to ensure this Recommendation that reaffirms and reinforces the rights of all women migrants.

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CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and today 184 States Parties have ratified the Convention. CEDAW ranks second only to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in terms of the number of ratifications.

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