GAATW parallel events during the 66th Commission on the Status of Women

Written on 15 June 2022.

SEA Europe CSW Flyer2 The 66^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) took place in March in a hybrid format and all the side events and parallel events were held virtually. The priority theme for this year’s session was ‘Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes’. GAATW co-organised three virtual parallel events with our member and partners.

The first event, held on 21 March, focused on ‘Return and Reintegration of South Asian Women Workers’. We shared research findings on the topic of reintegration of women from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka who have returned after migrating to the Middle East. The discussion was moderated by Alfie Gordo from GAATW-IS and Manju Gurung, from Pourakhi, Nepal. Speakers included representatives of our partner NGOs in the four countries. They spoke about the challenges that women face upon return, such as stigma in the community and (lack of) employment opportunities that can guarantee sustainable livelihoods and decent wages. They also discussed the support that women need after migration, and whether the available government programmes for returnees can lead to true economic empowerment.

The second event, titled ‘Socio-economic inclusion of migrant and trafficked women in Southeast Asia and Europe’, took place on 23 March. It presented the preliminary findings of our research on the same topic. One Filipina domestic worker in the UK, and NGO colleagues from the Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, and the UK, discussed the challenges that women face in achieving economic empowerment in the destination countries and upon return, as well as what they need in order to feel ‘re/integrated’ in their country. The event was facilitated by Milena Stateva from GAATW-IS.

The third event, held on 25 March, focused on the theme of ‘Women workers and the climate crisis’. This short session was moderated by Bandana Pattanaik from GAATW-IS and featured women workers and representatives from feminist and migrant rights organisations in Bangladesh and Indonesia. The speakers discussed the impact of the climate crisis on the migration and security of women, as well as the human rights violations that women experience as a result.

Gender, migration, and work: Launch of five research reports on social and economic inclusion of migrant and trafficked women in South America

Written on 15 June 2022.

LACLaunch On 29 March, we organised an online event to present the findings of a Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) project conducted jointly with five members and partners in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, and Colombia on the topic of social and economic inclusion of migrant and trafficked women.

The event was moderated by Emilia Cebrián from GAATW-IS and included opening remarks by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Mr Felipe González Morales. The SR highlighted key findings from each country report and linked them with existing resources prepared under his mandate that examine similar issues. Then, the panellists discussed the factors that shaped women’s decisions to migrate, the challenges faced in their migration journeys, their experiences of paid and unpaid labour in both origin and destination and their understandings of social inclusion. They also talked about the main challenges and lessons learnt in using the FPAR methodology during the pandemic and concluded by making recommendations for change identified together with the research participants.

The researches presented in this event were carried out with Venezuelan women in Brazil (by ASBRAD) and Peru (by CHS Alternativo), migrant women from several Latin American countries in Argentina (by CAREF) and Uruguay (by Idas & Vueltas), and returnee Colombian migrant and trafficked women (by Corporación Espacios de Mujer). Each organisation prepared an in-depth country report in Spanish that we encourage everyone to consult for country-specific findings: Cortar los nudos. Mujeres, migrantes y cooperativistas en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, by CAREF (Argentina); Construyendo un Mundo Plural. Experiencias y percepciones de mujeres migrantes venezolanas en Guarulhos, São Paulo, by ASBRAD (Brazil); Vivencias en el retorno y la reintegración. Mujeres migrantes y víctimas de Trata retornadas a Colombia, by Corporación Espacios de Mujer (Colombia); Inclusión social y económica de mujeres migrantes venezolanas en Perú. Transiciones migratorias y trayectorias laborales, by CHS Alternativo (Peru); and Sostener la vida a través de las fronteras. Cuidados y trayectorias laborales de mujeres migrantes en Uruguay, by Idas & Vueltas (Uruguay). Later this month, we Will publish a summary regional report of the findings in English.

Emergency fund for Ukraine and new report on trafficking risks for Ukrainian refugees

Written on 15 June 2022.

LSITIPUA In February, La Strada International established an emergency fund to support Ukrainian colleagues to remain safe, flee the country and access shelter, or receive emergency support when needed. Donations to the emergency fund can be made via their website or via bank transfer.

In March, LSI organised a webinar with representatives of civil society in Ukraine. The aim was to direct attention towards the situation in the country, prompted by Russia’s invasion, paying particular attention to the support provided by civil society organisations to people in vulnerable conditions. It also focused on what civil society actors in Europe can do to support the Ukrainian people.

In partnership with Freedom Fund, La Strada International conducted a rapid assessment of the current gaps in the counter-trafficking response to the war in Ukraine. The Russian invasion of the country has resulted in one of the largest movements of people in Europe since the Second World War, and anti-trafficking organisations are concerned about vulnerable Ukrainians being targeted for sexual and labour exploitation by organised criminal groups and individuals.

The aim of the rapid assessment was to identify which groups of people are particularly at risk and why. The key findings included that those who are at greater risk include unaccompanied children, undocumented migrants and people who do not have access to temporary protection offered in EU countries. This situation will worsen if the war continues, and more people are forced to flee Ukraine.

The report, titled Preventing human trafficking of refugees from Ukraine. A rapid assessment of risks and gaps in the anti-trafficking response, issues key recommendations for governments, international organisations, civil society, and community leaders with the purpose of addressing the existing gaps in the measures taken to protect people from trafficking.

US Congress reintroduces historic legislation that centres the health and safety of sex workers

Written on 15 June 2022.

On 3 March, International Sex Workers Rights Day, Rep. Ro Khanna, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Barbara Lee and Sen. Ron Wyden made history by re-introducing the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act (SSWSA) with the support of 70 different organisations from anti-violence, public health, technology, and civil and human rights. The SSWSA makes a seemingly straightforward ask of the US government: to study and report on the health and safety consequences of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) and the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) on people who trade sex. But the outcomes will be much deeper; if passed, this bill will create a monumental shift in how we understand digital oversight and regulation, anti-trafficking efforts, and sex workers’ rights.

As co-chairs of the Sex Worker Subgroup of the Federal LGBTQPLHIV Criminal Justice Working Group (SWP), our member Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center and Reframe Health and Justice are thrilled to see this important re-introduction. These organisations work individually and collectively to support the health and safety of people who trade sex. In carrying out their missions to defend the human rights of sex workers, they also seek to end human trafficking while defending the rights of people disproportionately represented in the sex trades, inclusive of LGBQ+ and TGNC communities, BIPOC communities, and migrant communities. The SSWSA deepens their collective work by seeking to better understand how people in the sex trades use digital spaces to stay safe and the health and safety implications of losing online platforms since the enactment of SESTA/FOSTA. You can read the full press release here.

Guide for police and labour inspectors working with migrants in the UK

Written on 15 June 2022.

Flex LabInsp Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) and the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) published a guide titled Preventing and Addressing Abuse and Exploitation: A Guide for Police and Labour Inspectors Working with Migrants.

This publication highlights the negative impact of data sharing between the police/labour inspectors and immigration enforcement on migrant victims of crime, in particular domestic abuse and labour exploitation, and shows how the introduction of safe reporting mechanisms can help prevent and address abuse and exploitation. Building on international good practice, it outlines practical strategies to increase trust between these agencies and migrant communities to enable migrants to securely report abuse and exploitation and agencies to access valuable intelligence to prevent and address these crimes.

This work is especially important in light of recent debates in the House of Lords on two amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill (Amendment 124A and 140), which would ensure that everyone can safely report crime without fear of their data being shared with immigration enforcement. Immigration enforcement undermines safeguarding of victims of crime and the new Immigration Enforcement Victims Protocol continues to prioritise this over the safety of victims and supporting cooperation with the police.

FLEX and LAWRS hope that police and labour inspectors will engage with the learnings and proposed strategies outlined in the publication to introduce and strengthen safe reporting mechanisms and build trust with migrant communities. The publication was launched with two accompanying videos on safe reporting for labour exploitation and on safe reporting for domestic abuse.