Protecting our migrants
Allow us to share today this statement of the Center for Migrant Advocacy on the Concluding Observations of CEDAW on the Philippines and the recent SONA of President Rodrigo Duterte 26 July 2016.
"The Center for Migrant Advocacy is urging the current administration to look into the still widespread exploitation and abuse of Filipino women migrant workers, in particular those working as domestic workers, as noted by the recently released concluding observations of the 64th Session of CEDAW (UN-Convention On the Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women) on the Philippines.
While CMA welcomes President Duterte's plans to place OFWs as a priority labor agenda, the current plight of OFWs, especially domestic workers, needs urgent action. Last July 5, the Philippine government, as a state party to the UN Convention, had a constructive dialogue with the CEDAW Committee to report on the state of all human rights of all women in the country, including Filipino women migrants.
The UN Committee welcomes the adoption of the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 10022) to protect migrant workers working in the State party but expressed its concerns on the widespread abuse among Filipino domestic workers abroad and the insufficient support system to reintegrate returning women OFWs.
The Committee also added that the protection of migrant workers under the ASEAN migration policies does not cover unskilled migrants, who constitute the majority of Filipino women OFWs.
It recommends that the country (a) enhance its efforts to effectively protect the rights of Filipino women OFWs abroad through bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding with countries and regions to which Filipino women migrate in search of work, (b) strengthen the regulation and inspection of recruitment agencies for migrant workers and the sanctions in case of breaches of relevant regulations; (c) continue its efforts to raise awareness among women migrant workers on their rights, the risks they may face, and channels to seek remedies in case of violations of their rights, through pre-departure briefings and public information campaigns; (d) Investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of exploitation and abuse of women migrant workers, in particular domestic workers, who are under its jurisdiction; and, (e) provide gender-responsive support to returning women migrant workers for their reintegration.
The CMA believes that while providing a significant portion in the annual multi-billion dollar remittances, the domestic workers are among the most exploited subgroup within the Filipino migrant workers, hence, the need to provide gender-responsive support to returning women migrant workers for their reintegration."
For more details about the CEDAW sessions, you can contact Ms. Ellene Sana at their CMA Facebook site or you may view the full document in this website:(http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/…/treatyb…/SessionDetails1.aspx…).
According to the United Nations data (www.unpopulation.org),in 2015, female migrants from the Philippines totaled to 48.2 percent. Of these migrants, the domestic workers are the most exploited, from abusive recruitment in our country to abusive work terms and conditions abroad. As many of them work inside homes, regularly monitoring their situation and ensuring their protection are challenges that, hopefully, governments of both sending and destination countries will effectively implement soonest.
When will our women and men not be forced to go abroad and stay home instead with their families whose needs are amply met? That will certainly be one SONA achievement worth waiting for.
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