In the age of intense human mobility, millions of migrants around the world are extremely vulnerable to human rights violations such as extortion, detention, forced labour, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. According to the United Nations’ World Migration Report 2020, women and girls are especially vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking, representing more than 50 per cent of all victims of exploitation in Europe, Asia and Africa, and over 80 per cent in the Americas.
In particular, Asia hosts the largest number of international migrants in the world, characterized for dynamic transnational migration events, where female migrant workers — who are fleeing poverty, conflict and persecution— end up trapped in exploitative and slavery-like working and living situations, including forced labour, forced marriage and other forms of sexual exploitation. However, it is estimated that less than one per cent of victims are identified and receive help.
On International Migrants Day 2019, our researchers Francisca Sassetti and Dr. Hannah Thinyane discuss how our mobile solution, Apprise Audit, is helping combat gender-based violence against migrant workers in the garment industry in the latest blog post for the EQUALS Global Partnership.