Report on the Seminar “Migrant Women, Boys

and Girls” (San Salvador, February 2000).

Elizabeth Cubías,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Event carried out in February 2000 within the framework of the topic of “Migration and Development” of the Action Plan of the Regional Conference on Migration

Organized by the Canadian Government and the Salvadoran Government, with support of International Organization for Migration

Objective: To share best practices and experience in order to formulate recommendations for specific actions

The Seminar

Close to one hundred participants from all RCM member countries

Representatives from government entities, civil society, and the academic world

Analysis of needs and challenges Formulating specific actions and

recommendations

Methodology

Panels and work groups to analyze the following core thematic components:

1. Regulatory Framework

2. Access to Services

3. Employment Conditions

4. Human Rights

5. Cultural Problematics

General Recommendations

To carry out studies to identify conditions of migrant women, boys, and girls in the region

To incorporate statistical data on migration in population censuses or surveys

To coordinate actions among governments and civil society to effectively address challenges

Specific Recommendations relating to Migrant Women

In accordance with the five core thematic components

Regulatory Framework

1. To ratify international agreements relating to the topic of migrant women and to establish monitoring and follow-up mechanisms with participation of civil society

2. To improve conditions in detention centers for migrant women and deportation conditions taking gender and family links into account

3. To penalize trafficking in persons, to carry out prevention campaigns and to promote denouncement of trafficking in persons

Access to Services

To improve access to services for migrants

To disseminate basic services in matters of health, education, housing, food (with support from international organizations and civil society)

To carry out a study on social needs and services being provided to migrant women, boys, and girls

Human Rights

Recommendations for governments:1. To implement social reintegration

projects for returned or deported women

2. To improve coordination and control mechanisms among government entities that address the topic of migration

3. To improve information exchange with other sectors

Human Rights

Recommendations for international organizations:

To support comprehensive development programs in countries of origin through alternative development projects

Employment Conditions

To harmonize migration policy and procedures

To ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families

To establish agreements between countries of origin and countries of destination

To channel funds to improve employment conditions in both countries

Cultural Phenomenon

To strengthen the celebration of Migrants’ Week, with an emphasis on conditions of women, boys, and girls

To incorporate the topic of migration in education curricula

THANK YOU

FOR

YOUR ATTENTION.