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Leave No One Behind!
Migrant Women’s Access to Social Protection
Women in Migration Network (WIMN) UN-CSW 63 Parallel Event
Thursday, 14 March, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
Second Floor, Church Center for the United Nations
Social Protection and decent work are a critical common link for women within their own countries and for women who migrate. Lack of adequate social protections in both countries of origin and destination put differentiated burdens on women. Cuts in social safety nets are one of the push-factors of migration for many women and their families. The roll back of social protection and shrinking wages in the global North have meant that women work longer hours and, when they can afford it, rely on low wage care workers, many of whom are migrant women of color.
In this context, feminists are exploring how to integrate agendas to understand how current policies specifically affect women in migration. Where are the places for building common agendas for greatest impact?
2019 marks the launch of the UN Global Compact for Migration, which is creating new UN infrastructure for international cooperation on Migration. The Global Compact for Migration, adopted last December by the UN General Assembly, is the first-ever comprehensive UN agreement on international migration and global migration governance. The Compact is “migrant -centered” and has gender-responsiveness and human rights as guiding principles. In this context, civil society launched a Marrakech Women’s Rights Manifesto, calling on governments to put women and girls at the center of migration policy—ensuring their full, equal and meaningful participation at local, national, regional and global levels and guaranteeing their human rights.
This event aims to discuss what cross-sectoral approaches feminists might take to affirm social protections, labor rights and access to social services for women in migration and all women. It will also seek to identify how feminist movements can take advantage of key moments and instruments in 2019 for advocacy. Finally, it will offer participants the opportunity to view and sign the Marrakech Women’s Rights Manifesto, which is being used as an advocacy tool on national and global migration policy. [https://womeninmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Marrakech-Women-Manifesto-English.pdf]
Presenters:
Moderator: Paola Cyment, WIMN
Speaker 1: Monami Maulik, Global Coalition on Migration (GCM)
Speaker 2: Leah Sullivan, Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
Speaker 3: Gemma Adaba, Council of Global Unions
Discussion Themes:
- What cross-sectoral approaches might feminists take to affirm social protections labor rights and access to social services for all?
- What could collaboration among women’s and migrants’ organizations look like at local and national level?
- How can feminist movements take advantage of key moments and instruments in 2019, such as implementation of the new UN Global Compact for Migration and the High Level Political Forum, to advance the women’s rights and migrant rights agenda?
WIMN promotes women’s human rights at the center of all migration and development policy. WIMN convenes organizations to expand rights-centered policies that prioritize the interests of diverse women and families affected by migration around the world.