Annoucement

On The Move - Launch of New Website on Women and Migration

25 August 2010 - The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) today launched a new micro-website on women and migration. The new website highlights the work of UN women's Asia Pacific and Arab States Regional Programme on Empowering Women Migrant Workers in Asia.

Speaking today in New Delhi at the Regional Consultation on "Empowering Women Migrant Workers" for Arab and Asia States, Ms Deepa Bharathi, UN Women Regional Migration Programme Manager stated, "The launch of the micro-website is an exciting opportunity to foster collaboration amongst the diverse regions represented by the Programme and is an excellent resource for all those working in the field of migration".

Globalization has contributed to an increasing flow of migrant workers from countries with limited economic opportunities to fill gaps in nations with a dwindling labour supply. Women are an increasingly significant proportion of the migrant population in Asia, comprising at least 50% of migrant workers, with the numbers steadily growing over the last decade. Currently, about two million Asian women migrate for work to other countries each year, with a significant proportion working in Arab states.

While globalization may foster the acceleration of trade and investment, it does not always create an environment that protects migrant workers' economic, social and physical security. In recognition of this, UN Women initiated a Regional Programme on Empowering Women Migrant Workers in Asia in 2001, with a mandate to promote women's human rights and empower women from a rights-based development perspective.

The UN Women Regional Programme on Empowering Women Migrants Workers in Asia is active across Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and VietNam.

Visit the newly launched micro-website to find out more about the Programme, read stories of good practices and view resources on women and migration - http://www.migration-unifem-apas.org/

UN Women is dedicated to advancing women's rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster women's empowerment. UN Women works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just societies.

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