Some 60 participants from 19 countries joined the Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) Preparatory Workshop from October 15 and 16 at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila.
“At the end of the workshop, the delegates adopted a set of recommendations on strengthening the protection of the rights of migrant domestic care workers and empowering them as development actors,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a news release on Friday.
“These recommendations will be presented in Roundtable 3.3 on ‘Protecting Migrant Domestic Workers: Enhancing their Development Potential’ of the GFMD Summit in Port Louis, Mauritius,” the DFA added.
The workshop focused on “International Migrant Domestic Care Workers at the Interface of Migration and Development: Action to Expand Global Practice in the Asian Region.”
The GFMD is the world’s pre-eminent dialogue on international migration.
It stemmed from the 2006 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development where member states endorsed the proposal of the Secretary-General to create a forum to continue the global dialogue on international migration and development.
The first session of the GFMD was hosted by Belgium in 2007, followed by the Philippines in 2008, Greece in 2009, Mexico in 2010, Switzerland in 2011 and Mauritius in 2012.
During the workshop, the delegates agreed to use the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 189 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (ILO 189) in identifying gaps in existing government policies, programs and structures o improve the protection of domestic workers.
The delegates also exchanged notes on their countries’ good practices in implementing this framework.
The ILO estimates there are 53 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide, 83 percent of whom are women.
Citing data from the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the DFA said there are over 3.4 million Filipino domestic workers here and abroad.
The Philippine government hosted the workshop with the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Mauritian Chair of the GFMD.
DFA Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns Jose Brillantes said the Philippine hosting of the workshop came at an “auspicious time” following the recent ratification by the Philippines of ILO Convention No. 189 and the passage on third reading of the Kasambahay Bill in the Philippine Congress.
“ILO 189 is the first international instrument on domestic workers which now forms part of a growing framework of human rights instruments and international labor standards for migrant domestic care workers,” the DFA said.
“This framework includes the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, its General Comment No. 1 on Migrant Domestic Workers, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its General Recommendation No. 26 on Women Migrant Workers,” it added. – VVP, GMA News
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