World leaders must to do more to address the needs of migrant women

Sep 11 2006

World leaders must to do more to address the needs of migrant women and to protect them from human rights violations, such as human trafficking, according to this year's State of the World Population report released Wednesday by the United Nations Population Fund, New Era/AllAfrica.com reports.

The report, titled "A Passage to Hope: Women and International Migration," examines the "scope and breadth of female migration, the impact of the funds they send home to support families and communities and their disproportionate vulnerability to trafficking, exploitation and abuse," AllAfrica.com reports (Sibeene, New Era/AllAfrica.com, 9/7).

According to UNFPA figures, nearly half of the 191 million people who migrate each year are women, primarily from countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe (Thomas, VOA News, 9/6).

The report also says that migrant women typically send more of their income to their home countries than men do (Buchanan, BBC News, 9/6).

In addition, the report finds that many become victims of human trafficking and are forced to work as commercial sex workers or domestic servants for families in wealthier nations, the Agence France-Presse reports (Agence France-Presse, 9/6).

"This report calls on governments and individuals to recognize and value the contributions of migrant women and promote and respect their human rights," Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA executive director, said Wednesday, adding, "There is an urgent need for stronger cooperation between countries to make migration more safe and fair.

And there is a dire need for greater action to address the lack of opportunities and human rights violations that lead many women to migrate in the first place" (New Era/AllAfrica.com, 9/6).

The report's release comes one week before world leaders meet in New York for a special U.N. session on international migration and development (BBC News, 9/6).