Women migrant domestic workers in Lebanon: A gender perspective

This paper illuminates the gender dimensions of women migrant domestic workers’ lived experiences in Lebanon under the kafala system. It examines the circumstances of women migrant domestic workers who live with their employer (live-in workers) and those who do not (live-out workers).

 

Lessons learned: Building migrant women’s groups and networks

The Lessons Learned outlined in this paper draw attention to reflections and good practices from the experiences of building of migrant women’s groups and networks in both countries of origin and destination.

The ILO’s TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, supported by Global Affairs Canada and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, recognizes that gender inequalities and discrimination limit the opportunities for women to benefit from migration, restrict women from reaching their full potential and increases the risk of exploitation. Aiming to increase women’s empowerment, TRIANGLE in ASEAN has supported six civil society organizations in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand to build migrant women’s groups and networks.

The ten lessons learned outlined in this paper cover practical issues including training of facilitators, the formation and maintenance of groups, and the building of wider networks nationally and cross-border. Other lessons learned address more complex issues that the migrant women’s groups have encountered. The lessons learned, like the groups themselves, are a work in progress. Building networks, tackling sensitive issues, advocating more broadly for the rights of migrant women and deepening the analysis of the complex social, economic and political factors through greater connectivity with social movements are all on the agenda for future interventions.

Women members of groups have gained more confidence, can more openly share and are expressing their opinions. Better informed, with more self-esteem, they are taking their own needs and knowledge into more consideration in decisions about migration. Migrant women’s group leaders are working together to advocate for policy changes and are prepared to tackle societal attitudes which discriminate against women and stigmatize migrant women.

The vibrant, enthusiastic migrant women’s groups built during this project are pleased to share their experiences with the hope that more migrant women will be able to build resilience through starting their own groups and be able to collectively address the inequalities, stigma and exploitation that migrant women currently face.

 

The Resource Centre for Migrant Workers (RCMW) in Tijuana, Mexico

Systematization of the experience of the RCMW. Recommendations to improve their services and to replicate the model in Mexico and Central American countries.

Comparative analysis of the standards and procedures on recruitment and placement of foreign temporary workers: Canada, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico

This study compiles, analyses and synthesizes the different national and international regulations and procedures that countries apply to the recruitment and placement of temporary foreign temporary workers; and it also presents lessons learned and key practices. In the case of Canada, the document includes the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

World of Work magazine: Migration should be a choice

The 2017 edition of the World of Work magazine highlights themes discussed by the ILO’s 106th International Labour Conference (ILC), including labour migration and fair recruitment.

Eliminating forced labour: Handbook for parliamentarians No. 30

Effective legislation and regulations on recruitment processes, for both national and migrant workers, help to curtail forced labour and trafficking. Beyond adopting or amending legislation on recruitment, parliamentarians can request the adoption of implementing decrees and hold the government accountable for monitoring implementation. Promoting fair recruitment practices, and averting the occurrence or risk of forced labour through the recruitment process, must be a fundamental part of any forced labour prevention strategy. 

This handbook, co-published with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), aims to help parliamentarians to make their contribution to global efforts to effectively combat the scourge of forced labour.

Ending child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains

Promoting fair recruitment is a critical priority in the context of both international and internal migration. As discussed in PART 1, a key finding of recent ILO research is that recruitment abuses – and in particular the payment of illegal recruitment fees and related costs – are one of the main ways in which forced labour and human trafficking enters supply chains.

The adoption of laws and regulations to help ensure that workers and jobseekers are not charged recruitment or related costs, or subjected to other recruitment-related abuses – addressed in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and international legal standards – is therefore critical to broader efforts against forced labour and human trafficking.

Promoting fair and effective labour migration policies in agriculture and rural areas

Migrant workers make an important contribution to the growth and development of rural areas, and more particularly the agriculture sector. However, they face pervasive decent work deficits, which include informality; a lack of opportunities for skills development and recognition, income security, social protection coverage and portability of benefits; and exposure to work-related accidents. Furthermore, they are vulnerable to forced and child labour, human trafficking and unethical recruitment, and – especially in the case of migrant women workers – experience discriminatory treatment.

The ILO endeavours to forge policies to maximize the benefits of labour migration for rural economies around the world, while ensuring the good governance of labour migration and the respect of human and labour rights.

The Montreal recommendations on recruitment: A road map towards better regulation

This resource presents policymakers and regulators with practical guidance and ideas to improve regulation and oversight of international recruitment and protection of migrant workers. It covers a broad range of themes, including the following:

a) recruitment fees;

b) licensing and registration of labour recruiters;

c) inspections and enforcement;

d) access to grievance mechanisms and dispute resolution;

e) bilateral and multilateral mechanisms; and

f) migrant welfare and assistance.

The guidance results from a global conference held in Montreal, Canada, that brought together leading experts and practitioners from more than 30 countries around the world. It reflects an important milestone in global efforts to promote ethical recruitment.

Promising practices for fair recruitment

This list presents a series of promising fair recruitment practices and results from a stocktaking exercise undertaken five years after the launch of the Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI).

 

Establishment of the National Union of Malagasy Domestic Workers (SENAMAMA) 

Code of Conduct for Ethiopian Overseas Private Employment Agencies 

Recruitment of health workers through bilateral labour agreements (BLAs): Kenya and the United Kingdom 

Madagascar alignment of labour code to newly ratified conventions 

Regulation of Private Recruitment Agencies in Uganda 

Law amendment concerning management of migrant workers in Thailand 

Revision of the Law on Contract-Based Overseas Workers 

Italian National Action Plan to tackle labour exploitation, unlawful recruitment and forced labour in agriculture 

Nepal – Bilateral labour agreements include provisions related to fair recruitment  

Bangladesh – Government capacity enhanced to promote fair recruitment in bilateral negotiations and arrangements 

Tunisia – Formation of a new body of inspectors for the recruitment industry  

India – Blacklisting employers and recruiters abroad to protect Indian migrant workers  

Piloting fair recruitment from Bangladesh to Qatar in the construction sector  

Fair recruitment pilot between Nepal and Jordan in the garment sector  

Mexico - Fair recruitment practice by recruitment agency adapted to COVID-19  

Code of Conduct on the fair recruitment of Filipino migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong (China)  

Code of Conduct in international supply chains by Responsible Business Alliance 

Commitment to fair recruitment and due diligence in the sugar and palm oil industry of Guatemala   (English) Guatemala – Compromiso con la contratación equitativa y la debida diligencia en el sector guatemalteco del azúcar y el aceite de palma (Español)

Zero recruitment fee policy for (migrant) workers in Jordan 

Guatemala – Outreach through trade unions including attention to COVID-19 (English) Guatemala – Difusión a través de los sindicatos, incluida la atención a la COVID-19 (Español)

Raising Pakistani migrant worker’s awareness of their right to fair recruitment