Not For Sale’s Post

Violence against women: the Court clarifies the conditions for qualifying for international protection. Women, as a whole, may be regarded as belonging to a social group, within the meaning of Directive 2011/95, and qualify for refugee status if the conditions laid down by that directive are satisfied. This will be the case where, in their country of origin, they are exposed, on account of their gender, to physical or mental violence, including sexual violence and domestic violence. If the conditions for granting refugee status are not satisfied, they may qualify for subsidiary protection status, in particular where they run a real risk of being killed or subjected to violence. https://lnkd.in/efPyu8HV

Post written in collaboration with Agustina Galantini 📢🛑🚺Have you heard about the "Yolanda Case"? Yolanda (fictitious name) is a Venezuelan woman captured in Venezuela with a deceitful offer who went on to be sexually exploited in Colombia. One of her daughters was also a victim of violence and sexual abuse. The Colombian Prosecutor's Office did not identify the case as trafficking, but as inducement to prostitution, leaving Yolanda unprotected (more information in comments). During the #16Days of Activism, we want to highlight some of the barriers migrant women face in accessing #protection resources: 🛂 Migration status or lack of migration documents: fear of deportation or legal reprisals for seeking support deters many migrant women from reporting situations of violence. 🗣️Linguistic and cultural barriers: Language and cultural differences are often insurmountable obstacles. Lack of information in their mother tongue and misunderstanding of local laws and resources leaves them unable to access protection services. 📝Filing of complaints to access protection: Protection is sometimes conditional on the filing of a criminal complaint, a court ruling, or a formalization of the investigation by the Prosecutor's Office. However, most #GBV cases do not reach that level of justice. 🛑In the case of migrant trafficking victims, there is no indicator to differentiate between migrant smuggling and human trafficking situations. Authorities wait for victims to self-identify or denounce their traffickers, which is often not the case in practice. We call for more comprehensive mechanisms so that migrant women can access prevention, protection, and sanction mechanisms against #GBV. Don't forget to follow Agustina Galantini ! #UNWomen #16Days #GBV #NoExcuse

Post written in collaboration with Marta Castro 🚸 #Migrant women often find themselves in vulnerable situations, facing cultural, linguistic, and structural barriers. #Migration, while representing a search for opportunities, can also expose migrant women to risks of abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. According to a study conducted by the Women's Refugee Commission with migrants who had travelled the Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, an estimated 90% of the women and girls who participated in the study had been raped at some point during their journey (link in comments). During the #16Days of activism, we want to remind you that migrant women experience distinct #GenderViolence challenges for three reasons: ⬅ Situation in the country of origin: Violence by intimate partners, ex-partners, and criminal groups motivates many women to flee to other countries seeking protection. Gender-based persecution should be recognised by States in the refugee status determination process. 🚌 During the migration route: The migration route, especially irregular routes, exposes women to a higher risk of sexual violence and #trafficking. Women are sometimes forced into sexual exploitation and abuse in order to cross #borders. 📍In the destination country: Migrant women may experience situations such as labour #exploitation, difficulties in accessing medical services, and victimisation in their process of accessing #protection, justice, and reparation mechanisms. Women may be afraid to approach institutions for help because of their irregular migration status and their lack of information about protection routes. "You walk down the street and they shout at you: Veneca, look at that ass". An #IOM study collects testimonies of Venezuelan migrant women who have experienced gender-based violence in public spaces, at work, and in medical facilities (link in comments). How do migrant women experience gender-based violence in your country and are these challenges visible? Don't forget to follow Marta Castro! #UNWomen #16Days #GBV #NoExcuse

Post written in collaboration with Agustina Galantini 🚸 #Migrant women often find themselves in vulnerable situations, facing cultural, linguistic, and structural barriers. #Migration, while representing a search for opportunities, can also expose migrant women to risks of abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. According to a study conducted by the Women's Refugee Commission with migrants who had travelled the Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, an estimated 90% of the women and girls who participated in the study had been raped at some point during their journey (link in comments). During the #16Days of activism, we want to remind you that migrant women experience distinct #GenderViolence challenges for three reasons: ⬅ Situation in the country of origin: Violence by intimate partners, ex-partners, and criminal groups motivates many women to flee to other countries seeking protection. Gender-based persecution should be recognised by States in the refugee status determination process. 🚌 During the migration route: The migration route, especially irregular routes, exposes women to a higher risk of sexual violence and #trafficking. Women are sometimes forced into sexual exploitation and abuse in order to cross #borders. 📍In the destination country: Migrant women may experience situations such as labour #exploitation, difficulties in accessing medical services, and victimisation in their process of accessing #protection, justice, and reparation mechanisms. Women may be afraid to approach institutions for help because of their irregular migration status and their lack of information about protection routes. "You walk down the street and they shout at you: Veneca, look at that ass". An #IOM study collects testimonies of Venezuelan migrant women who have experienced gender-based violence in public spaces, at work, and in medical facilities (link in comments). How do migrant women experience gender-based violence in your country and are these challenges visible? Don't forget to follow Agustina Galantini! #UNWomen #16Days #GBV #NoExcuse

More than 7.7M Venezuelans have fled their country, challenging stability & sparking humanitarian efforts in the region. NORC's evaluation of efforts to fight gender-based violence (GBV) among these migrants calls for more psychological support for survivors. NORC’s Carlos A. Echeverria Estrada, Ph.D. observed, “The countries we studied did not have a recent history of massive immigration. As a result, they had to transform themselves to accommodate the Venezuelan migrants and refugees and address sexual violence toward and among them.” The evaluation highlights a pressing need for increased psychological support for survivors of GBV, underscoring the ongoing need for targeted efforts to address this issue effectively. https://lnkd.in/e62_bAmQ #BetterTogetherChallenge #HumanitarianAid #GenderBasedViolence #Innovation #VenezuelanCrisis

Focusing on Venezuelans in Colombia, there are specific groups of migrants and areas of Colombia where populations are most vulnerable and victimizers are often the people meant to protect migrants (i.e., immigration authorities, police, doctors). During a recent workshop in Colombia, my colleagues Catalina Correa Salazar , María Inés Cubides Kovacsics and Silke Heumann and their co-researchers presented and discussed these and other first results of our study on "Understanding transactional sex in situations of humanitarian crises" (https://lnkd.in/dq6yHc_j) with humanitarian stakeholders. https://lnkd.in/ejj7FDxz

134.8 million That's how many migrants are women or girls around the world. They usually: ❌Earn less on average than migrant men. ❌Face an increased risk of trafficking. ❌Face a high risk of labour and human rights abuses. On #MigrantsDay, let us: ✅Ensure that the rights of migrant women & girls are protected and promoted. ✅Recognize the diverse talent and expertise that migrants bring to countries around the world ✅Fight the different gender stereotypes that limit migrant women’s autonomy and decision-making & increase their vulnerability to human rights violations. ✅#ActToday and every day. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dFaVH2ai

📊 Data from Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) show that women constitute the majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees with, 59% and 58% respectively. IOM remains committed to its work for strengthening safe migration and prioritizes efforts to eradicate gender-based violence, trafficking, and exploitation faced by migrant and displaced women. Let's work together to create a world where every woman can migrate safely and thrive without fear of harm or exploitation. United Nations United Nations OCHA UN Women IOM - UN Migration IOM RO Vienna IOM Belgium and Luxembourg #InvestinWomen #IWD2024

📢 Spotlight on ♀️ #Focusongender (#49) 🖊️Focus on a region : #CentralAmerica - the #Dariéngap by The World Bank 🛖Migrant women and girls in Central America risk their lives in search of a better future 🙋🏽♀️In 2020, almost 49 percent of the 16.2 million migrants from Central America and Mexico were women. 📍According to a UNHCR report, on the Panama-Colombia border at least one in every four migrant women, refugees, and asylum seekers have experienced harassment or abuse on their journey. 🫰🏽In addition to the difficulties of crossing a tropical forest, migrants crossing the Darién gap into Panama are frequently victims of robbery and assault by violent criminal gangs. The gangs often attack women using force. 🫥Two out of every ten migrant women and girls reported being survivors of gender-based violence (sexual, physical, and psychological) while crossing the Darien jungle. 🫡Accounts from both women and service providers have been recorded indicating the prevalence of mass rapes in the jungle, primarily by unknown individuals working with smugglers. 📫The lack of services and resources for host communities represents another major issue in tackling gender-based violence. #women #womenrights #sexualviolence #genderbasedviolence #migration

UN Special Rapporteurs’ letter to #Turkey concerning the situation of #children and #women, mostly of #refugee, asylum-seeking, migrant and minority background, including unaccompanied and separated children, who continue to face a heightened risk of abuse and exploitation including by being subjected to #immigration detention, extortion, sale, child forced labour, trafficking, sexual exploitation, child forced marriage and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, in the aftermath of recent #earthquakes in #Türkiye and #Syria. Experts state that millions of displaced children and families are at risk and in need of urgent humanitarian support.