BEIRUT (ILO News) - A knowledge sharing event organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has explored with stakeholders how to move forward in upholding fundamental labour rights for one of the most vulnerable group workers: migrant women workers.

The event, titled “What works and does not work in reducing vulnerability to forced labour and human trafficking of migrant women workers?” was held in Beirut, Lebanon. It marked the completion of the 10-year Work in Freedom (WIF) Programme.

The flagship programme was implemented by the ILO with the support of the UK’s Department of Foreign International Aid (FCDO) to test state of the art practices to reduce vulnerability to forced labour and human trafficking.

The event presented the lessons learned from the programme, which has over the years documented a rich set of findings that can guide future efforts to tackle challenges related to forced labour and trafficking of women migrant workers.

Lebanon’s Minister of Labour Mustapha Bayram was represented at the event by Head of the Informatics Department at Lebanon’s Ministry of Labour Zuhair Fayad. “The Ministry and the ILO are connected through cooperation and joint effort with the aim to promote a human centred agenda of decent work that cover all workers,” Fayad said at the opening session of the event. “Issues relating to upholding human and labour rights and dignity of workers are at the top of the Ministry of Labour’s list of priorities and have been translating this commitment into action to protect migrant domestic workers,” Fayad said.

The event also launched a legal manual developed by the Lebanese rights-based organization Legal Agenda and the ILO, and explored practical challenges that hinder access to justice and ways to encounter them.

“Vulnerabilities such as those many migrant women workers face invite us to ask some uncomfortable questions,” said ILO Deputy Regional Director for Arab States Peter Rademaker. “What could we do more? Why is progress not measuring up to the efforts invested? When would we move beyond advocating for basic human and labour rights for women migrant workers and recognize their contributions to societies across the globe?”

Rademaker said: “in these times of crisis that Lebanon is facing, policies enabling decent work for migrant domestic workers, including possibilities of occupational mobility and live-out arrangements, is one important entry point that would benefit Lebanese households in need of care as well as migrant workers. This will indeed be the direction of some of our work in the near future.”

Tim Stone, Head of Development and Humanitarian Team at the British Embassy in Beirut, said ‘‘there are millions of people living in forced labour around the world. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. The UK remains committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour, and human trafficking in line with our commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Work in Freedom has developed a rich body of evidence to inform targeted policy action around the world, and we thank ILO for more than 10 years of partnership,” Stone continued.

“Here in Lebanon, Work in Freedom has played an important role in informing discussions around the kafala system: generating evidence and policy proposals to better protect the rights of migrant domestic workers. This work provides a template for future reform. We look forward to working with ILO and partners to build on the achievements of Work in Freedom and advance this important issue,” Tim Stone said.

The way forward was informed by key lessons learned from the programme and on-going initiatives currently implemented by constituents.

1. Position productive employment and decent work of both women and men at the centre of long-term national development plans, strategies and macro-economic policies.
2. Explicitly acknowledge and include excluded occupations or types of workers under the fold of general labour law protections, especially fundamental principles and rights at work.
3. Guarantee employment for all while recognizing the specific vulnerabilities of marginalized persons.
4. Establish robust social protection floors
5. Remove mobility and employment restrictions for women.
6. Expand the support basis for migrant workers by ensuring their participation in policy initiatives.

In collaboration with multiple development partners, the ILO designed the inter-regional WIF programme, implemented along important labour migration pathways of migrant women workers in South and West Asia. The programme covered Lebanon, Jordan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.