..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 10 April 2006
Press Release No: G/19/CS62/13

UNESCAP’s 62nd Commission Session, 6-12 April 2006

ABUSE OF WOMEN MIGRANTS IN FOCUS

Impact of cross-border migration, remittances, human and labour rights violations to be discussed

Jakarta, 10 April 2006 – As part of the 62nd Commission Session, the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and UNESCAP will hold a ‘side event’ on 12 April at 10:00 hrs to examine the gender dimensions of international migration.

Speakers include the Indonesian State Minister for Women Empowerment Meutia Hatta Swasono, UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak Su, academics from Malaysia and the Philippines, and representatives from international organizations working on migration issues including ILO, IOM, and UNIFEM.

According to UNESCAP, out of 191 million people living outside their home countries worldwide today, about 58 million - or over one-third of all international migrants - live in the Asia-Pacific region.

Driven largely by demand for care services such as nursing, domestic work and child care arising from aging populations and a higher quality of life, female migrant workers now constitute roughly half of migrant workers.

“Sending” and “receiving” countries are both impacted by international migration. Remittances from migrants to families back home are playing an increasingly relevant role. In some countries, remittances constituted one-quarter or more of gross domestic product (GDP) and remittances to developing countries are currently larger than official development assistance (ODA). According to World Bank statistics, the total rose to $226 billion in 2004, of which $145 billion was sent to developing countries. Three out of four of the top remittance-receiving countries were in the Asia-Pacific region. In absolute terms, India received $21.7 billion, China received $21.3 billion and Philippines received $11.6 billion. According to the Government of Indonesia, remittances account for some 0.75% of GDP or $5.49 billion.

Migrants make a substantial economic and social contribution to their families and also to source and destination countries; however, many of them are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Women migrant workers in particular are subject to discriminatory practices, human and labour rights violations at every stage of the migration cycle. These rights violations occur throughout the migration cycle (pre-departure, on-site as a migrant worker and upon return to home country) and are underscored by an interface of class, gender, ethnic and nationality issues.

The side event will give attention to the impact of cross-border migration on source and destination countries, the particular concerns of women migrants and migration policies approaches and laws of source and destination countries.

Panellists will also discuss preparations for the High-level Dialogue to be held by the United Nations General Assembly in September in New York.

Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is the largest of the UN's five Regional Commissions, in terms of population served and area covered. The only inter-governmental forum covering the entire Asia-Pacific region, it aims to promote economic development and social progress in the developing countries of the Asian and Pacific region. More information is available at www.unescap.org.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus, Chief, United Nations Information Services Bangkok
In Jakarta: Tel: +(62-21) 572-6126
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E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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