International Women's Day: IOM seeks safer migration for rural women
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Thursday called on the international community to implement measures aimed at ensuring safer migration for rural women.
In a statement issued to mark the International Women's Day, being observed globally 8 March, IOM said the call was necessitated by the fact that more women than ever before are joining the ranks of the world's migrants to support their families and improve their economic status.
IOM therefore called on the international community to promote safe migration for women in rural areas, including the prevention of trafficking in human beings, as well as the facilitation of rural women's access to reliable legal migration information, identity and travel documents.
It also called for their promotion of a better regulation of the migration of domestic and care workers in the countries of origin, as well as promote protection mechanisms and adequate conditions of employment in the countries of destination.
Other measures include promotion of gender-sensitive pre-departure orientation programmes for future migrants, including those engaged in transnational marriage migration; provision of gender-sensitive humanitarian assistance to rural women in emergency settings, including natural disasters; promotion of rural women's full enjoyment of their human rights and effective access to redress and justice in case of gender-based violence or exploitation; promotion of migrant workers' access to affordable health and social services, including sexual and reproductive health services and the provision of tailored support to women acting as heads of household as a result of migration and promote support services for the families left behind.
IOM is also seeking the provision of support for the economic empowerment of women in rural areas, including through the promotion of schemes building on remittances; research and collection of data on the situation of rural women and girls and their migration behaviours, and fostering of interstate dialogue and enhanced bilateral, regional, interregional and international cooperation to better regulate and protect women migrant workers.
''Despite growing gender equality and the empowerment of women, rural women, who represent about a quarter of the world's population, still suffer from the lowest incomes, the least education, and less political and social influence than either rural men or urban populations,'' IOM said in the statement, obtained by PANA in Lagos.
''By definition they are more vulnerable than other migrant groups and therefore require greater protection from all states committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society,'' it added.
-0- PANA SEG 8Mar2012
