Gendered Aspects of Migration: Law and the Female Migrant

This paper discusses national and international responses to female migration and aims to "expose ways in which the legal regulation of migration reproduces and exacerbates the social and cultural inequalities that disempower female migrants." The authors conclude that although the international system has paid little attention to the particular needs of foreign female household workers, the law still has the potential to protect the rights of migrant workers. Recently, international law has begun to turn its attention to the violence directed at female migrant workers. For example, the Declaration on Violence Against Women and reports of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women reflects a growing consensus that states must protect domestic workers from violence by their employers. The authors also discuss the problems and benefits of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families and the International Labour Organization's efforts to address the rights of domestics. [Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]