Online webinar: The Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on Women and Girls in Migration and how to respond

Online Series: The Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on Women and Girls in Migration and how to respond.

Thursday, 18.06.2020, 16h -17h CET

RSVP required: Email unmignet@iom.int to confirm with your name and organization.

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far reaching consequences for everyone around the globe. But for migrant women and girls the pandemic has compounded existing inequalities and exacerbated labour and human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence, as well as their experiences of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as a notable rise in racist and xenophobic abuse. At the same time, however, migrant women are agents of change and leaders within their communities, rising to confront the challenges brought to light by this pandemic, including as countries look to recovery measures on the other side of this pandemic.
 
Following the recent UN Secretary-General’s policy brief on The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, this webinar organized by the Network Series on Mobility in the Time of COVID-19, under the co-leadership of UN Women and the Women in Migration Network, will examine the gender-specific impacts of the pandemic on migrants, and the ways in which countries’ socio-economic recovery measures can be developed or strengthened to address the specific needs and challenges facing women and girls at all stages of migration. It will provide an opportunity to share examples of good practices and ongoing collaborations from around the globe.
 
As governments look to strengthen their response and recovery measures to the pandemic, it is paramount that the specific needs, challenges and situations of all women and girls in migration are recognized and addressed. This crisis presents an opportunity to build back better and for states to reinforce their commitments made in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. 
 
In this regard, it is critical to ensure that all migrant women have access to decent work, and that women and girls in migration have access to social protection and healthcare, including during times of crisis. Denying migrant women and girls access to healthcare, whether as a result of policy, practice, or regulation, is not only a violation of their rights, but is also a public health concern. These challenges are often compounded for undocumented migrant women, low wage migrant women workers and migrant women of ethnic and racial minorities already confronting multiple forms of discrimination when trying to get the health care they need.  It also vital that all women and girls — including migrants — who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence are provided with access to essential services (health, police, justice and social services) as part of the COVID-19 response.
This webinar follows two Listening Sessions on Gender-specific Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Migrants held with civil society, women’s organizations and stakeholders where key concerns and good practices were raised by organizations at local and country levels across regions.

Agenda/ Programme

The purpose of the webinar is to bring together policy makers, government representatives, advocates, UN agencies, migrants and their organizations to examine the gender-specific implications of COVID-19 for migrants, including understanding the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination they face and come up with concrete ways forward as we grapple with the fallout from the pandemic.
 
The moderated discussion will be led by four lead discussants each of whom will suggest three or four main lines of inquiry or reflection.  These will then be followed by an open conversation.

Event
UN Network on Migration Webinar Series: The Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on Women and Girls in Migration and how to respond

Event address for attendees

https://iom.webex.com

Date and time

Thursday, June 18, 2020 4:00 pm
Europe Summer Time (Paris, GMT+02:00)

Event number: 163 091 4446

Event password: welcome

Video Address
1630914446@iom.webex.com
You can also dial 62.109.219.4 and enter your meeting number.

Audio conference
United Kingdom Toll
+44-20-3478-5289
Show all global call-in numbers
Access code: 163 091 4446
Please note that the webinar will be recorded and posted further on the Network website.