On this International Women’s Day, the Global Migrant Workers Network stands in solidarity with women across the world, especially migrant women workers, who continue to lead the fight for dignity, justice, and equality. As frontline workers, caregivers, and essential contributors to global economies, migrant women embody feminist leadership through their resilience, collective organizing, and unwavering commitment to human rights.
Yet, despite their vital role, migrant women face systemic inequalities, including wage theft, gender-based violence, lack of social protection, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. Their leadership and contributions remain undervalued and unprotected by policies that fail to recognize their rights and agency.
Feminist Leadership in Action
Feminist leadership is about breaking barriers, challenging oppressive systems, and centering the voices of marginalized women. Migrant women have led grassroots movements, labor unions, and community networks, demanding policies that uphold their dignity, secure fair wages, protect against abuse, and ensure access to justice.
Governments must recognize and support this leadership by:
- Ensuring Legal Protections for Migrant Women Workers
- Ratify and enforce ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers’ rights and ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.
- Implement strong labor laws that prevent wage theft, exploitation, and unsafe working conditions.
- Providing Social Protection and Equal Rights
- Ensure migrant women have access to healthcare, maternity leave, and social security, regardless of migration status.
- End policies that tie work visas to employers, which increase vulnerability to abuse.
- Ending Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination
- Strengthen reporting mechanisms and provide legal aid for women facing workplace harassment and abuse.
- Ensure all migrant women have safe housing and protection services.
- Investing in Economic Empowerment
- Fund livelihood programs such as skills training, entrepreneurship support, and education for migrant women.
- Remove discriminatory wage gaps and ensure equal pay for equal work.
- Including Migrant Women in Decision-Making
- Recognize and engage migrant women leaders in policy-making processes, labor negotiations, and governance.
- Support and fund migrant-led organizations and unions advocating for workers’ rights.
Governments Must Act—Now!
Migrant women are not victims—they are leaders, workers, and changemakers. Their demands for justice, safety, and fair treatment are non-negotiable. Governments must move beyond rhetoric and take bold, feminist action to uphold the rights and dignity of all migrant workers.
This International Women’s Day, we demand real commitments, real policies, and real protections. The fight for gender justice and migrant rights is one fight—and we will not stop until every woman is free, empowered, and protected.