In a migration-related context, GBV can take different forms: the most common are sexual, physical or psychological violence. It can also include harassment, unwanted physical contact or survival sex; verbal violence (that is, offensive, insulting or derogatory language); and non-verbal violence (that is, threatening behaviour, sexually suggestive gestures or staring), and the like (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2016). GBV can be perpetrated by migration actors, including (knowingly or unknowingly) by some border authorities, smugglers and recruitment agents (see Gender and border management). It can also be perpetrated by fellow migrants, who may be partners or those met in transit, workplace or accommodation sites.
Violencia de género
Glossary
VAW is driven by social and cultural attitudes and perceptions that treat women as subservient to men. Worldwide, 30 per cent of women aged 15 and older have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by either an intimate partner or a non-partner at some point in their lives (UN Women, 2021). VAW can manifest as female genital mutilation (FGM), forced or early marriage, and domestic or other types of violence, the risk of which increases as a result of other factors such as sexual orientation and single motherhood (IOM, 2013; IOM GMDAC, 2018). For these reasons, VAW can be a driver of migration. But while VAW is a product of gender inequalities, migration can continue or increase imbalances of power and the risk of violence, particularly due to limited access to and control over opportunities and resources (IOM, 2013; IOM, 2018).
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Fuente
IOM, 2013.
While GBV disproportionately affects women and girls, it also affects other gender groups. As discussed in Gender in crisis and post-crisis contexts, LGBTI migrants can face heightened violence in situations of crises, where families might apply pressure on the individual to conform to traditional gender roles (IOM, 2013; IOM, 2018). Gender-based myths and stigma can simultaneously be both a cause and product of GBV as a result of power imbalances and the social isolation it creates. For instance, the mobility of men and boys may be restricted out of fear of violence or harassment in border spaces. As well, men and boys are prevented from meeting in groups for fear of the perception that they will be violent (Brun, 2017).
The negative physical, sexual, mental/psychosocial, socioeconomic and legal consequences of GBV for the person experiencing can be both short and long term. The consequences can reach beyond the individual and affect the entire families and communities. All survivors of GBV have the right to receive compassionate care and support that addresses the harmful consequences of violence. This support includes multisectoral services such as health-care services, psychosocial support, safety and security options, legal support and access to justice, and economic and social reintegration (IOM, 2018).
Policy Approaches
Prevention to address gender-based violence in migration
- Establish a clear gender-based violence (GBV) prevention strategy that includes working with migrants and displaced communities to address detrimental and harmful gender norm.
- Build the capacity of institutions and individuals at the national and local level to promote gender equality and address perceptions and behaviours around gender, violence and power.
- Undertake sensitization and awareness raising with migrants as well as with local communities and authorities.
- Train local and national institutions to develop and implement confidential reporting systems and zero tolerance policies.
- Establish effective referral systems that involve multi-stakeholder coordination between State and non-State actors. Mapping the needs of GBV victims is a prerequisite to ensuring that these can be met by access to or referral by different service providers.
Good Practice
Working with civil society to prevent gender-based violence
There are many good practices that involve working with civil society organizations to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) against migrants and refugees. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Youth Living Peace programme works with not only adolescent girls and women but also boys and men to address the root cause of violence, encouraging every individual to change attitudes about gender equality, use of violence and healthy relationships. Through a myriad of group activities, including school-wide campaigns, the community becomes well informed about available reporting mechanisms for those who have been exposed to violence and how to help. The programme also contributes to a more informed environment, advocating for the development and implementation of policies to prevent and respond to violence against all gender groups.
Fuente
Hassink, 2015.
Riesgos de trabajo forzoso y trata de personas
Según un estudio publicado en 2017, alrededor de 24,9 millones de personas se encontraban en situación de trabajo forzoso u obligatorio en diversos sectores, como el empleo doméstico, la construcción, las fábricas, las explotaciones agrícolas y embarcaciones pesqueras, y la industria del sexo (OIT y otros, 2017). Las mujeres representaban el 99% de las víctimas del trabajo forzoso en la industria del sexo comercial y el 58% de las víctimas en otros sectores. Una de cada cuatro víctimas del trabajo forzoso era explotada fuera del propio país de residencia (OIT y otros, 2017).
La naturaleza del trabajo forzoso entre las mujeres migrantes suele ser una extensión de la discriminación de género en los sectores en que trabajan. Por ejemplo, la explotación y el trabajo forzoso son frecuentes en el empleo doméstico, un ámbito que por lo general no se considera parte del sector “laboral” en el sentido tradicional. Esto hace que en ese trabajo no se reconozca la validez del conjunto completo de los derechos laborales, con la consiguiente vulnerabilidad al trabajo forzoso y las prácticas de explotación. La discriminación de género que considera el trabajo femenino como un trabajo menos cualificado y menos valioso también puede conducir a la explotación y al trabajo forzoso, debido a las barreras que impiden a las mujeres el acceso a la migración regular para el ejercicio de un trabajo decente (véase la sección titulada Género y migración laboral). Las mujeres migrantes empleadas en trabajos de baja categoría, informales y mal remunerados corren un alto riesgo de ser sometidas a condiciones de explotación y a prácticas de trabajo forzoso.
To Go Further
- International Labour Organization (ILO), Indicators of Forced Labour, 2012. These indicators are intended to help government officials and other stakeholders to identify persons who might be in a forced labour situation and who need urgent assistance.
The risk of trafficking in persons can also be exacerbated by gender-based discrimination, including limited access to economic activity, domestic violence, or sexual or other forms of crises (Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women [GAATW], 2010a). Heightened expectations (often gendered) to work and provide for the family can lead to feelings of desperation that increase the risk of trafficking.
Many cultural norms tend to identify women and girls as more likely to be victims, which can have an impact on the number of women and girls identified as trafficked. Although most victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation are indeed women, a higher proportion of victims trafficked for forced labour are men. In fact, more and more males are being identified as victims of trafficking in persons (CTDC, n.d.). However, the shame associated with being tricked or lied may lead men to avoid self-identifying or being identified as trafficked, thus preventing them from demanding and accessing much-needed services (GAATW, 2010b; ILO, 2016). Moreover, many services, such as shelters, are not always as readily available to men (see more in Trafficking in persons and associated forms of exploitation and abuse).
Riesgos del tránsito
Los migrantes afrontan amenazas importantes durante el tránsito (Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos (ACNUDH), 2016). La fase de tránsito puede ser físicamente ardua y jurídicamente arriesgada, dejando a los migrantes en condiciones de salud disminuida y de mayor riesgo de explotación y manipulación. Las mujeres embarazadas corren un riesgo particular, al igual que las personas muy ancianas y muy jóvenes (ACNUDH, 2016).
Las mujeres y las niñas están expuestas a la violencia y el acoso durante el tránsito, como lo demuestran algunas investigaciones que indican que la violencia sexual, a manos de escoltas, migrantes o funcionarios delincuentes, es inevitable (ACNUDH, 2016; Instituto de Estudios sobre el Desarrollo (IDS), 2016). Las mujeres pueden sentirse obligadas o forzadas a tener relaciones sexuales a cambio de transporte, alimentos o alojamiento (OIM, 2013). Los lugares de tránsito suelen ser sitios de mayor riesgo para los migrantes, al tener que dormir al aire libre o en estructuras sin privacidad ni seguridad (ACNUDH, 2016). Mujeres migrantes que utilizan vías irregulares han informado de que, ante el riesgo de agresiones sexuales, compran anticonceptivos de emergencia o se ponen inyecciones anticonceptivas antes del viaje (Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, 2017). Muchas mujeres viajan con acompañantes varones remunerados para reducir las posibilidades de abuso y explotación (ONU-Mujeres, 2017b). La violencia sexual contra los hombres y los niños también es frecuente, e incluye la tortura sexual, la violencia genital y la castración (Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), 2019).
Policy Approaches
Addressing gender risks in transit
- Develop and implement targeted efforts to prevent, mitigate and respond to sexual violence and exploitation inside and outside of the formal reception system.
- Develop the capacity of national institutions to prevent, mitigate and respond to sexual violence.
- Enhance the capacity of service providers and frontline workers to provide survivor-centred services that prevent and respond to sexual violence, including enhancing awareness of sexual violence against men and boys, reducing stigmatization of female and male survivors and improving appropriate and timely referral of survivors.
- Expand service provision for male, female, LGBTI and other non-binary survivors, including clinical management of the effects of sexual violence, mental health care and psychosocial support, legal aid and access to protection.
Fuente
Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), 2019.
Mensajes clave
- La explotación laboral y el trabajo forzoso son resultados extremos de la discriminación de género que aboca a mujeres y hombres migrantes a trabajar en sectores laborales informales y escasamente protegidos.
- La violencia de género puede afectar a los migrantes durante todo el proceso migratorio, como factor que propicie la migración, como riesgo a lo largo de la ruta migratoria o como experiencia en los países de destino. En el caso de las mujeres y las niñas, el riesgo de violencia de género se ve aumentado cuando coinciden múltiples formas de discriminación, relacionadas, por ejemplo, con el género, la situación migratoria, la etnia, la edad de la sexualidad, la capacidad física, la raza y la religión.
- La discriminación de género y las normas perjudiciales pueden elevar el riesgo de trata de personas, socavando también la exactitud con que se logra medir y combatir este fenómeno.
- Las mujeres y las niñas están particularmente expuestas a la violencia durante el tránsito, y muchas consideran la violencia sexual una consecuencia inevitable de la migración por cauces irregulares.