[ARTICLE] Migrant Women Unite and Fight for Our Rights!
Article on IMA International Working Women’s Day Webinar
19 March 2025
To celebrate International Working Women's Day this year, IMA Global organized a webinar and invited women leaders from several regions to be speakers. The webinar, held on March 15, 2024, at 8:00 PM Hong Kong time, was attended by more than 80 participants from Asia, Europe, Canada, the United States, and Latin America.
The speakers not only discussed the challenges and issues faced by women migrant workers in their regions, but also shared about their campaigns, demands, solidarity, and what they could learn from each other.
Viviana Medina, a member of the IMA Chapter Canada and a member of the IMA International Coordinating Body, opened the webinar. Viviana stated that women migrant workers never tire of fighting for one another, demanding equal rights, fair wages, and a decent life. Women are always under the shadow of exploitation wherever they work. Therefore, IMA calls on all women migrant workers to rise against the imperialism that discriminates and treats women as cheap labor.
Adrianne Sebastian (IMA USA)
The situation for migrants in the United States is currently worsening. The assistance and facilities provided by the government are insufficient. The government is even tightening border controls and increasing the number of military forces patrolling the borders. The Trump administration has increasingly attacked and marginalized migrant, refugee, asylum seeker, and LGBTQ communities. The government’s actions also affect American households, including women and children in the U.S. However, in the face of the government's unfair treatment, migrants are organizing themselves and establishing programs to assist their own communities. IMA USA current activities: 1) organize and support migrant families who bear the consequences of new government regulations, 2) conduct more training sessions such as Know Your Rights and other training to address the root causes of migration, and 3) join other coalitions to strengthen migrants’ struggle. IMA USA's main campaign is to defend migrants and advocate for justice for those detained in detention centers and threatened with deportation.
Yasmeen Khan (IMA Canada)
The way to combat the current system that marginalizes migrants is by organizing migrants, including female migrants. IMA Canada does not only work with Filipino migrants but also with their families in Canada and the Philippines. The domestic issues faced by Filipino women that lead them to decide to migrate include: 1) Labor Export Policy, 2) Lack of job opportunities, 3) Massive poverty, 4) Environmental destruction and land grabbing, 5) Militarism. The problems faced by migrants in Canada include: 1) No mobility – work visas are tied to one employer, 2) Indentured workforce - paying up to $10,000 to agents and brokers, 3) Cultural isolation, 4) No or lack of access to labor and government bodies, 5) Long family separations (domestic violence, intergenerational conflict, etc.), 6) Deskilling, 7) Racism and discrimination, 8) Wage theft, 9) Precarious working conditions. What IMA Canada is currently doing includes organizing and mobilizing, addressing the rights and welfare of migrants, conducting campaigns and advocacy, education and research, lobbying and networking, solidarity work with other migrants, labor unions, etc., and exposure tours to the Philippines. Currently, IMA Canada's demands are for workers to get the access to healthcare services, education, labor rights, and open work permits.
Johanna García (IMA Ecuador)
Like other countries, Ecuador is also experiencing an economic crisis. Ecuador has high rates of violence and murder, with victims of murder and sexual violence including women and children. Women face discrimination, which leads to high unemployment rates among women. Many women work in the informal sector and lack adequate access to welfare and protection. After COVID, an increasing number of women are migrating from Ecuador. This is also driven by violence from gangs and natural disasters. In Ecuador, they are fighting for women's rights to be recognized and for the implementation of related laws, advocating, participating in the drafting of legislation related to gender-based violence, and conducting training programs for women in remote areas alongside other organizations. IMA Ecuador demands accountability from the government for the escalating crisis, the establishment of laws that meet women's needs, and reforms to labor laws.
Natividad Obeso (AMUMRA-Argentina)
Female migrants face discrimination from the Argentine government. The government is increasingly restricting the rights of migrants. It is also closing organizations that assist women and provide protection to them, including AMUMRA. Argentina faces a government that criminalizes migrants, making them more vulnerable. AMUMRA demands that the government grant equal rights to female migrants and recognize the work done by female migrants. With the government forced to closed AMUMRA office, it shows that facism doesn’t allow any room for migrants to organize. It is crucial for all migrant organizations to assess the situation in Argentina. Workers, including female workers, must rise and fight against oppression. AMUMRA campaign includes the right to receive pensions.
Natali Ramos (IMA Europe)
Some of the challenges and difficulties faced by migrant women in Italy include delays in residence and asylum permits, irregular domestic work and low wages, difficulties in accessing citizenship, political discrimination from the right-wing government, and a lack of participation from young people at the university level. The consequences of these challenges include rising crime rates and informal work, a lack of identity and social exclusion, mental health deterioration, and family fragmentation. Migrants are being marginalized and discriminated against, creating a lack of opportunities for them to find work. What they do in Italy includes mobilization and activism, education, legal support, and legal empowerment. Natali emphasizes that collaboration is needed to tackle this significant work. Therefore, they work with labor unions and other organizations to build a strong network.
Purnima Shaa (Chairperson of Overseas Nepali Workers Association-IMA Hong Kong Macau)
98% of migrant workers in Hong Kong are women who are experiencing exclusion and discrimination that leads to slavery. Members of the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB) in Hong Kong are fighting for decent wages, not only for domestic workers but also for local workers. Although they have participated in consultations held by the Labour Bureau HKSAR alongside other organizations and stakeholders, their demands have not received a positive response from the consulate. They demand that the consulates fulfill their requests amidst the rising cost of living. On this occasion of International Working Women’s Day, they demand a decent wage of HKD 6,172, regulation of working hours, humane accommodation, the lifting of the ban on Nepali workers, and the cessation of illegal agency fees.
Aileen Lee Miranda (Gabriela Middle East)
The issues faced by all female Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East include: 1) the Kafala system, 2) contract violations, 3) contract substitutions, and 4) physical/sexual abuse. Due to these issues, the consequences faced by migrant women include loss of employment freedom and autonomy, heightened risk of exploitation and abuse, lack of legal protection, social and psychosocial consequences, and economic exploitation. To address these difficulties and challenges, the principles of arouse, organize, and mobilize are implemented. Gabriela also provides rights and welfare programs (education and empowerment campaigns and welfare assistance). The demands of Gabriela Middle East include: 1) Abolish the Kafala system, 2) Genuine and free consular and legal services for Filipino migrants, 3) Complete abolishment of the affidavit of support, 4) Oppose the labor export policy, and 5) True accountability for errant employers and manpower agencies in both home and host countries.
Lucky Akter (IMA Bangladesh)
Lucky migrated to Lebanon. Through Lucky's story, it was revealed that the cost of migration is very high. Even upon reaching the destination country, she had to face the reality of experiencing poor conditions. Lucky communicated with the IMA Research Foundation and asked for help. Upon returning to Bangladesh, Lucky had to continue struggling alone to support her three children. Lucky's message is that if we want to migrate abroad, we must understand the laws and regulations in that country.
The webinar concluded with a speech from Eni Lestari, who urged all women migrants to continue to organize, campaign, educate, and defend our rights, well-being, and dignity, despite the difficulties, repression, and prosecutions. Even amidst economic crises, stagnation, recession, and war; and despite the discrimination faced by female migrants, lack of rights and access to necessary services, being treated as low-wage workers, and the pressure of other forms of violence, let us show solidarity with one another. Let’s educate and organize ourselves, help and inspire each other, consistently raise our issues of concern and demands, expand our ranks, and unite with working women from various sectors in both host and home countries.
Long live the women migrant struggle!
Long live the working women movement!
Long live international solidarity!
