Joint ILO/DFID project
Work in Freedom: Preventing trafficking of women and girls in South Asia and the Middle East
Promoting education, fair recruitment, safe migration and decent work, the Work in Freedom programme adopts an integrated and targeted approach to prevent trafficking of women and girls in South Asian countries of origin (Bangladesh, India and Nepal) and in selected destination countries (India, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates). It will reach at least 100,000 women and girls as direct beneficiaries.
Women and girls on the move in South Asia
For millions of poor people in South Asia, migration is an important livelihood strategy to escape poverty for themselves and their families. They move long distances in pursuit of jobs and earnings to remit home. Some migrate from poor to richer regions, or from rural to urban areas, within their own country, while many migrate abroad. This is the case for many women and girls who face discrimination at home and are willing to take up offers of jobs in countries of the Middle East, particularly as domestic workers in private households. While some succeed in their migration venture, many are prone to deception by unscrupulous labour recruiters or to exploitation at the hands of employers in the destination region or country, practices that may amount to trafficking for forced labour.
For millions of poor people in South Asia, migration is an important livelihood strategy to escape poverty for themselves and their families. They move long distances in pursuit of jobs and earnings to remit home. Some migrate from poor to richer regions, or from rural to urban areas, within their own country, while many migrate abroad. This is the case for many women and girls who face discrimination at home and are willing to take up offers of jobs in countries of the Middle East, particularly as domestic workers in private households. While some succeed in their migration venture, many are prone to deception by unscrupulous labour recruiters or to exploitation at the hands of employers in the destination region or country, practices that may amount to trafficking for forced labour.