Cambodia’s ban on domestic worker to Malaysia is an opportunity for change to protect the right of migrants
Cambodian Working Group for Domestic Workers
c/o Natalie Drolet, Advocacy Officer, LSCW
P.O. Box: 1542
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(855)23 220 626
A call for ACTION now
February 8, 2012
CAMBODIA’S BAN ON DOMESTIC WORKERS TO MALAYSIA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS
On October 15th, 2011 the Prime Minister of Cambodia announced a ban on the recruitment, training and sending of domestic workers to Malaysia. This announcement was made following various media and NGO reports of abuses, exploitation and even deaths of Cambodian domestic workers in Malaysia. The key purpose of the ban was to put into place new laws, processes and mechanisms that will ensure safe migration.
In June 2011, the ILO adopted Convention 189 concerning decent work for domestic workers. The time is ripe for the Cambodian and Malaysian governments to take measures to ensure the rights of domestic workers, including a decent minimum wage, that define the rights and responsibilities of domestic workers, employers and recruitment agencies.
With a clear recognition of rights and an effective rights monitoring mechanism, we can stop the needless suffering of thousands of often very young Cambodian women and girl domestic workers in Malaysia.
Support and lobby for the actions proposed overleaf…..
We call on the governments of Cambodia and Malaysia to:
- Sign a bilateral agreement that ensures the protection of rights enshrined in ILO C189.
- Adopt and enforce mandatory standardized employment and job placement services contracts that adhere to the standards established in ILO C189.
- Ensure that the regulation of private recruitment agencies meets the standards in ILO C189.
- Ratify ILO C189 and bring national laws and enforcement into alignment, including covering domestic workers under national labor laws.
- Establish effective monitoring mechanisms for greater accountability and transparency in recruitment, placement, and employment of domestic workers.
- Ensure effective access to redress, legal remedies and grievance procedures in Cambodia and Malaysia for victims of rights violations and abuse.
- Improve screening to identify victims of abuse and survivors of trafficking, and provide them with legal aid, shelter, counseling, repatriation and reintegration services, as needed.
- Ensure protection and support for domestic workers already working in Malaysia at the time of the issuance of the ban.
- Work through regional mechanisms to strengthen the ASEAN Declaration on Migrant Workers and the ASEAN Plan of Action through the promotion of minimum standards for domestic workers.
- Recognise the special needs and vulnerabilities of female and male migrants and tailor systems to respond.
- Ensure extensive consultation with civil society organizations working on domestic workers, migration and trafficking to implement the above.
We call on the governments of Cambodia and Malaysia to act expeditiously to enact effective protection measures for domestic workers.
Endorsed by:
- Cambodian Working Group for Domestic Workers (CWGDW), Cambodia
- Chab Dai Coalition, Cambodia
- Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) Cambodia
- Healthcare Center for Children (HCC), Cambodia
- Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia
- Gender and Development Cambodia (GADC), Cambodia
- Strey Khmer, Cambodia
- Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), Cambodia
- Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center (CWCC), Cambodia
- Cambodian League for the Defense and Protection of Human Rights (LICADHO), Cambodia
- Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC) Cambodia
- American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS), Cambodia
- Cambodian Human Rights and Development Organization (ADHOC), Cambodia
- Positive Change for Cambodia, Cambodia
- Cambodian Youth Network (CYN) Cambodia
- Human Rights Watch
- World Solidarity
- Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
- Mekong Migrant Network (MMN)
- Tenaganita, Malaysia
- Penang Office For Human Development (POHD), Malaysia
- Foreign Spouses Support Group, Malaysia
- Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd, Malaysia
- Coalition to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA)
- National Union of Building and Construction Workers (NUBCW), Philippines
- Worker’s Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), Nepal
- Youth Action Nepal (YOAC), Nepal
- WARBE Development Foundation, Bangladesh
- Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers (CIMW), Indonesia
- Center for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS), India
- Hope Workers Center (HWC), Taiwan
- Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), Singapore
- Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC), Nepal
- St.Francis of Assisi, Singapore
- Center for Migrant Advocacy, Philippines
- Scalabrini Migration Center, Philippines
- International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development, Indonesia
- Coalition for Migrant Rights (CMR), Hong Kong
- International Association of Scalabrinian Sisters for Migrants (AISSMI)
- Migrant CARE, Indonesia
- Hsinchu Migrants and Immigrants Services Center, Taiwan
- Unlad Kabayan Center Foundation, Philippines
- KAAGAPAY, Philippines
- Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, Bangladesh
- Woman Health, Philippines
- Kanlungan, UK