GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 3, July 2024
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we prepare for GAATW's 30th anniversary and the International Members Congress and Conference (IMCC) in October, we are excited to develop the IMCC programme and reconnect with members and allies who will be integral to the event. To begin the celebration of our decades-long journey, we are sharing artwork to illustrate GAATW’s work on understanding labour migration and trafficking by centring women’s voices and agency, acknowledging rights-based responses, and creating spaces for intersectoral/cross-regional dialogues. The illustration was drawn by Sonaksha who also developed a creative art piece for GAATW’s 25th anniversary in 2019.
This June in Bangkok, we held the Women Workers for Change (WW4C): A Knowledge Sharing and Solidarity Forum. The forum successfully brought together representatives from partner organisations, women workers groups and advocates. Read more about it below.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 2, April 2024
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we step into the middle of the year, we present to you the second issue of our e- bulletin. The first quarter of 2024 has been a busy one. We have met with many of you to plan GAATW’s 30th anniversary and the International Members Congress and Conference (IMCC) which will be held in Bangkok on 15-18 October 2024.
Thank you for your continued engagement with the Secretariat. Keep sharing your updates with us so we can share them with other Alliance members. We hope you find the updates in this bulletin informative and relevant as we continue our collective efforts to advocate for justice and dignity for all.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 1, January 2024
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we step into 2024, the GAATW International Secretariat extends warm wishes for a year filled with progress, collaboration, and meaningful impact. Reflecting on the year gone by, we witnessed the resilience and courage of communities, most particularly migrant workers, amidst the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainties, and armed conflicts. This issue covers our activities from October till December 2023.
In 2024, our focus remains on advocating for the rights and welfare of women workers, migrants, and trafficked persons. We remain committed to furthering our research and advocacy initiatives, strengthening our collaborations, and amplifying the voices that need to be heard. The past year's events, consultations, and workshops across various regions have reinforced the power of collective action and shared learning. As we embark on this new year, we will build on these foundations with renewed strength and purpose.
Looking forward to the months ahead, we are thrilled to announce our upcoming International Members Congress in October, marking a significant milestone – the 30th anniversary of the Alliance. This congress will celebrate our collective achievements, reflect on our journey, and strategise for the future. More details on the event and how you can participate will be shared in the coming months.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 4, October 2023
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We are pleased to bring you the last bulletin of the year. As we reach November 2023, it feels as if the year has passed too quickly. After two and half years of online work, like all of you, we also got busy with many in-person events. So several meetings, consultations, and workshops were held in different parts of the world. Many of you were part of those convenings. The remaining two months look busy too.
During August and September, we organised two consultations in Sri Lanka and the Philippines on women workers’ experiences of return migration and the various reintegration provisions that are available in their respective countries.
We also organised a learning visit to the UAE in August for some of our South Asian partners. They met up with migrant workers from their countries, visited their diplomatic missions, and also interacted with CSOs and representatives of the Government of Dubai.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 3, July 2023
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
Since our last e-bulletin, we have welcomed a new colleague to our team. Michelle Soe Moe from Thailand joined the Secretariat as Program Officer Communications in mid-June and she is responsible for implementing the communications strategy and multi-media work with various stakeholders.
We are pleased to share the latest news and activities by the GAATW-IS.
Issue 10: Women Workers Organise
- Category: Our Work, Our Lives
Dear friends,
We are pleased to bring you the May 2023 issue of Our Work, Our Lives which focusses on women workers’ organising.
In this issue we hear from community organisers and union leaders affiliated to AMKAS-Nepal, ARM-Lebanon, CHRCD-Sri Lanka, DoWan-Sierra Leone, ESCO-Sri Lanka, JALA PRT- Indonesia, OKUP-Bangladesh, OPSI-Indonesia, Tarangini-Nepal, WINS-India, WOFOWON-Nepal, MAP-Thailand, PTS-India and Yasanti-Indonesia.
Women who have returned after working as domestic workers (or in other low waged jobs) in foreign countries have collectivised to demand stronger social protection and a safe and fair labour migration regime. They are currently self-employed or working as daily wage labourers in their home countries. Even when there are accusations from male family members that they are ‘wasting time in girly gossip’, returnee women migrants have sought out each other’s company. Many of them have also enjoyed working in their communities. “I joined DoWan to avoid loneliness at home and get skills training to find a job,” says Kadiatu Patricia Ado from Sierra Leone. “Earlier I was known as someone’s daughter, sister, wife, or mother. Now I am a well-known face in my community, even in my district. I am one of the trusted persons in my society,” says Indira Kharel from AMKAS-Nepal. “Despite lack of recognition from the government, we have been able to create a culture of mutual support amongst ourselves and find a social niche for ourselves,” members of the Kurunegala Migrant Societies tell us.
There are stories of organising and unionising from women domestic workers, home-based workers, porters, entertainment workers, farmers, and sex workers. “When we started speaking as a group, things did change sometimes. Not big changes but at least the behaviour of male colleagues and employers changed a little. When we started to respect ourselves, we noticed that people also treated us with some respect in public places,” Ayushma KC, an entertainment worker leader from WOFOWON tells us. Erna Maria from Jogja City Homeworkers Federation explains that by joining the union, she learnt about workers’ rights and how to fight for it. Her words are echoed by members of the women farmers’ cooperative in Tirupati, India who say, “We thought that if we present our situation to policy makers as a group, there is greater possibility of being taken seriously.”
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 2, April 2023
- Category: E-Bulletin
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We begin this issue by welcoming three new colleagues who joined our Secretariat team early this year. Alfie Gordo from the Philippines has rejoined the Secretariat and is responsible for programme coordination and strategic communications. Vivian Cartagena from Ecuador joined as programme officer for alliance strengthening. Her work will involve a stronger engagement with members and partners, and preparatory work for GAATW’s 30th year anniversary in 2024. We also hired a new accounts and grants management officer, Wachira ‘Noon’ Chairattham Wachira ‘Noon’ Chairattham from Thailand.
At the end of March, we bid farewell to two of our dear colleagues, Borislav ‘Bobby’ Gerasimov and Milena Stateva. While Bobby will no longer be a full-time staff, he remains the editor of the Anti-Trafficking Review. GAATW-IS wishes the best for both of them!
Issue 9: Celebrating Women Leaders
- Category: Our Work, Our Lives
Dear friends,
We are back with the March 2023 issue of Our Work, Our Lives after a gap of one year. From now onwards, the e-magazine will be published bi-monthly.
As before, it will bring the voices, concerns and priorities of women workers.
In preparation for this issue, we requested our members and partners from organised groups of women workers to respond to two simple questions. We wanted to know what significance, if any, 8 March has for them and what their priorities for 2023 are. Twenty-five contributions from twelve countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America reached us. It was heart-warming to note that 8 March is celebrated by all the groups to strengthen women’s movements for social justice. For all our contributors, the day is also a celebration of womanhood, of friendship and solidarity. Priorities range from long-term visions for a life of dignity and equality to more specific ones of collective well-being, just wages, insurance benefits and freedom to organise. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Do write to us with your comments, suggestions, or stories for upcoming issues at
Warmly,
GAATW-IS team