Realisingthe Human Rights of All Migrant Womenthrough the Global Compact for Migration

Realisingthe Human Rights of All Migrant Womenthrough the Global Compact for Migration

“Realisingthe human rights of all migrant womenthrough the Global Compact for Migration”

GANHRI Annual Meeting 2018

Wednesday,21February, 2-3pm

Room (XXIII) Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

Concept Note

Approximately half of the nearly 260million international migrants worldwide are women, many of whom aremigrating autonomously to seek better livesand economic opportunities outside of their countries of origin.When migration is a choice, it can be an empowering experience for women, as they may leave situations where they have limited options or face discrimination, for ones where they can exercise greater autonomy over their own lives and access to their human rights, thereby benefiting themselves as well as their families and communities. However, at all stages of migration, women and girls often experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, as women and girls, as migrants, and often on additional grounds such as (dis)ability, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, and health, pregnancy and migration status, and particular challenges in participating in decisions that affect them. The specific situations, needs and priorities of migrant women and girls with disabilities is rarely addressed by policy makers, despite the fact that they often experience a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence, including harmful practices, exploitation, discrimination and exclusion from access tothe equal enjoyment of their right to quality, accessible education, sexual and reproductive health, livelihoods, a nationality and other public services. Due to structural, environmental and societal barriers and harmful gender and disability stereotypes they also often have limited access to gender-sensitive information in accessible formats, health and rehabilitation services and human rights protection.

Migrant women and men are often absorbed into low-skilled, low-paid and unprotected forms of employment where they are often assigned to dangerous manual labour resulting in a higher likelihood of industrial accidents. Similarly, due to limited availability and accessibility of regular migration pathways, migrant men and women are often compelled to resort to precarious routes.At the same time, the majority of these migrants are unable to access quality health services and social security, including disability benefits, compared to national populations and citizens. Migrant men and women in irregular situations are in even more vulnerable situations and, without firewalls separating access to key services from immigration enforcement and special measures to reduce obstacles, are particularly at risk from suffering violations and abuses of their human rights.

The development of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migrationthrough intergovernmental negotiations taking place in 2018, is an unprecedented opportunity to ensure the human rights protection of all migrant women and men, including those with disabilities. Given the important role of National Human Rights Institutions(NHRIs)in promoting and monitoring the implementation of human rights standards at national level and in the context of migration, they are key stakeholders in advocating for human rights-based and gender-responsive migration governance.

UN Women, GANHRI and OHCHR will co-host a side event during the GANHRI 2018 Annual Meetingto highlight the need for a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration which prioritises the human rights of all migrant women and girls, including those with disabilities. The event seeks to increase the support of NHRIs for a gender-responsive Global Compact for Migration that advances gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in line with the Sustainable Development Agenda and international human rights standards.

Objectives:

The purpose of the side event is togarner support from NHRIs for a human rights-based, gender-responsive Global Compact for Migration, andbuild consensus on strategic approaches for addressing the rights of migrant women with disabilities in the Global Compact.

Specific objectives of the side event are to:

  1. Discuss innovative and collaborative approaches to ensure that thepromotion of human rights andthe empowerment of all migrant womenand girls, including those with disabilities,isa priority in the Global Compact for Migration;
  2. Identify actions and measures forNational Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to advance the full and effective protection of human rights of migrant women and girls, including those with disabilities,as part of the Global Compact for Migration.

Organizers:

The side event will be co-organised by the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva (tbc), GANHRI, OHCHR and UN Women, during theGANHRI 2018 Annual Meeting.

Composition of panel:

  • Opening remarks: Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva (tbc)
  • Moderator and closing remarks:Christine Loew, Director of UN Women Liaison Office, Geneva
  • Panellists
  • Beate RudolfGANHRI Chairperson
  • Genevieve Sauberli, Human Rights Officer, OHCHR
  • Theresia Degener, CRPD Chairperson
  • Nahla Haidar, member of CEDAW
  • Driss El Yazami Chairperson of the NHRI of Morocco

For more information about the event, please contact the organisers:

Katharina Rose () and Michael Stewart-Evans ()

Top View