Women important constituent in international migration: Ravi

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 14 (UNI) Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi today said women are an important constituent of international migration and also constitute a significant percentage of total migrants.

Women are also active participants in the migration process within and between countries, he said, inaugurating a two-day workshop on problems relating to NRI marriages here.

He said the Global Population Report-2005 and UNFPA estimated that 51 per cent of migrants were women totalling about 95 million.

Mr Ravi said the share of women as migrants had increased over the years, though issues relating to them had gained attention only in recent years.

Women who often migrate as dependent family members of other migrants or as the spouse of someone in another country, are vulnerable to deprivation, hardship, discrimination and abuse, he pointed out.

Stating that women faced discrimination due to their status as migrants and gender, he said they had limited access to employment and generally earned less than men and native-born women.

A migrant woman was more vulnerable if her residence was dependent upon a relationship with a citizen through marriage, he added.

Realising the legal complexities involved in the problem of abandoning women in foreign countries by their husbands, the government had embarked on a ''publicity campaign'' to create awareness on the issue, he said.

The main objective of the campaign was to educate young women and their families on their rights and obligations as also to give them guidelines on what they must check and verify before entering into overseas alliances, he added.

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs joint secretary G Gurucharan, NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas and Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathy also spoke on the occasion.

UNI CGV PKS RS1922