APWLD Newsletter: Beyond Growth – 4 Demands for Just and Sustainable Development

The current development model has particularly failed rural, indigenous and migrant women.Women need a new development model. A model that aims to reduce the inequalities of wealth, power and resources between and within countries, between rich and poor, and between men and women. APWLD Newsletter: Beyond Growth – 4 Demands of Just and Sustainable Development            

Four Demands for Just and Sustainable Development Goals

  The global model of development is not working for rural, indigenous and migrant women of Asia Pacific. We needed development goals that focus on sustainable communities, sustainable lives and sustainable environments. SDGs One Pager  

 

The New Slave in the Kitchen: Debt Bondage and Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Asia

Despite the outlawing of slavery in every country for at least 30 years, ‘contemporary’ forms of slavery are happening in kitchens and households around the world, enabled by ‘debt bondage’. Through debt, women are effectively owned by powerful recruitment agencies rather than directly by employers. While the ILO recently recognised domestic work as work, the attention to women domestic workers is needed as they are largely excluded from protection of labour laws. This report is a useful study of domestic workers in the region, and discussion of how governments and other institutions can better deal with this resuming form of slavery.

 

 

Mobilise Guide- Action and Organising with Mobile Phones

Produced by APWLD with assistance from members of United for Foreign Domestic Workers (UFDWR), this introductory guidebook can be a powerful tool for domestic workers’ organisations and domestic worker advocates to take steps to organise workers and themselves with the resources they already have on hand- mobile phones! Women domestic workers have the right to make their voices heard and use law as an instrument of change. Women’s human rights are legally protected internationally, yet organising and communicating with workers to ensure labour rights are shared and enforced can seem like a difficult task. The guide provides key terminology, instructions and even programmes to start mobile campaigns. Mobilise is geared to both domestic workers and advocacy organisations supporting them.

 

 

Know Your Rights Under the New ILO Convention on Domestic Workers

This publication marks the historic victory on 16, June 2011 of the adoption of a new Convention and Recommendation on Domestic Workers. It is a valuable tool to understand domestic worker rights, outlining the recommendations for important areas including health and safety, rest, documentation, terms and contacts and the right to organise. The booklet also explains further measures to be included in national legislation and future ratification.

 

 

Different but Not Divided – Women’s Perspectives on Intersectionality

This new publication of APWLD reports and analyses our 2010 regional consultation with the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women. This year women from across 16 countries came together to share and discuss how multiple forms of discrimination relates to and impacts upon the issue of violence against women. This report weaves together all of their perspectives to form a comprehensive document articulating how women’s multiple identities interact with patriarchal societies and systems – often resulting in violence. Different but not Divided contends that our commonalities are in our struggles against neo-liberal globalisation, fundamentalisms and militarisation rather than in our identities. This publication shares stories of how violence has been resisted and talks about how intersectionality can be applied. With a CD annex of participant submissions and presentations, this publication is not only informative but also a practical tool for activism.

Grounding the Global – A Guide to Successful Engagement with the UN Special Procedures Mechanism.

Drawing on APWLD’s 16 years of successful engagement with the UN special procedures mechanism, this resource book  provides a step by step guide for organisations who wish to engage with this important UN system. This is a highly practical guidebook that begins with an explanation of the special procedures, its history and efficacy. The guidebook elaborates on the particular framework of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women (SRVAW) and discusses the entry points and strategies available for civil society organisations trying to engage with mandate holders.  Adding to these resources, are lists of current mandate holders as of April 2011, a helpful glossary, a submission template for the SRVAW, and a list of the core international human rights treaties with a chart of countries in Asia Pacific that have signed or ratified them.

                                           

The Right to Unite: A Handbook on Domestic Worker Rights Across Asia

This new resource tool is both an introduction to women and domestic work in Asia and an in depth look at the hidden violations of domestic worker rights in ten countries in the region. Designed for advocacy, this handbook breaks down information country by country. It contains the latest ILO instruments on domestic work and analyses them in relation to women domestic worker rights. It identifies gaps, highlights concerns and gives concrete recommendations for change. Download pdf.