Monaco Women Forum

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II;
President of the National Council, Stephane Valeri;
Monegasque Authorities;
And our organiser, Cinzia Sgambati-Colman, of the Monaco Women Forum.

It is a pleasure to address you today.

I wish to thank our host country, the Principality of Monaco for its leadership to advance the rights of all women and girls, including by stepping up its efforts to implement the Istanbul Convention and by supporting joint declarations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action.

In countless homes across Europe, families and communities have opened their doors and their hearts to Ukrainian women and children fleeing the conflict.

This speedy reaction shows we can pull together to support people in need, reaffirming our common humanity.

This solidarity is encouraging – but should not be exceptional.

Conflicts and persecution certainly force people to flee.

Yet people are compelled to move for various other reasons, not least of which, are gender inequalities, discrimination, the adverse effects of climate change and lack of access to education, health, housing, and adequate sanitation.

Women and girls account for about half of all international migrants. Migrants – regardless of gender – are not inherently vulnerable. Rather, many have found themselves in situations of discrimination, inequality or violence as a result of unjust policies, laws and practices. 

On a global scale, women and girls are disproportionally affected by these issues, so are already in a situation of vulnerability when they leave their country of origin. For instance, in Afghanistan, the economic crisis, restrictions on access to education and employment, increase in sexual violence, including child, early and forced marriage, denial of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and accompanying impunity often compel women and girls to move. Gender-based violence persists, with victims at greater risk due to the closure of protection shelters and a lack of formal complaints mechanisms.

Around the world, women human rights defenders continue to face obstacles, violence, harassment and repression and are forced to exile.

While in transit, women and girls are at greater risk of all kinds of violence, particularly sexual violence, inflicted by private individuals, border authorities and other State officials. Their specific health needs, particularly their sexual and reproductive health and rights, are too often ignored. 

In destination countries, migrant women tend to end up in the informal economy, without access to decent work, social protection, labour rights or basic services. This increases the risk of workplace exploitation, violence and harassment, with women reluctant to report crimes and transgressions due to their precarious or irregular migration status.

As a result of the increasing arrivals of Ukrainian refugees to Europe, I would urge transit and destination countries to scale up protection mechanisms for women and girls, many of whom face risks of trafficking, sexual and labour exploitation, and other abuse in transit and on arrival.

Understanding this chain of violations, which cause situations of vulnerability, can help us break it.

So, we need gender-responsive migration policies and programmes, which involve migrant women in their design and implementation and respect their autonomy and decision-making capacity. This also means making available safe and gender-responsive spaces for migrant women and girls to claim and exercise their rights, training staff and providing comprehensive support, including legal advice.

This brings me to the importance of sufficient pathways for safe and regular migration.

Concretely for European States, this could involve providing more gender-responsive options for labour migration at all skill-levels; making family reunification more accessible and efficient; creating humanitarian corridors for those who face human rights violations in transit, such as in Libya; and expanding pathways and regularisation measures based on human rights and humanitarian grounds.

And any foreseen returns should be safe, voluntary, dignified and informed. This is why I have asked Member States to institute a moratorium on repatriations of Afghan nationals at risk. My Office’s work in Syria has also raised concerns about returning women and girls to situations where they may be at risk of systemic discrimination.

My Office has also drawn attention to the fact that for women in certain situations, migration is no longer even an option. For instance, some fishers in the Saint-Louis region of Senegal migrate seasonally to Mauritania, which has greater fish stocks and large fish-processing factories in need of labour. But for some women in Saint-Louis, whose traditional livelihood involved fish processing, this kind of mobility is often not an option, driving them further into food insecurity.

And while global attention tends to focus on migration from Africa to other parts of the world, namely Europe, most of African migration happens either between or within African countries, with 1 in 4 international migrants within Africa being refugees or asylum seekers.¹ 

Increasing representation of African voices in media and academia can help curb these misconceptions.

How we speak about migration matters.

Anti-migrant discourse in politics, the media and public debate has become commonplace and an easy excuse for discriminatory laws and policies.

But narratives can also represent a powerful tool for change, by shifting from narratives of fear, hate and division to those that focus on dignity and what we have in common.

My Office is challenging and reframing harmful narratives and stereotypes on migration through its #StandUp4Migrants campaign and toolbox, and its work with a range of partners and migrants.

Excellencies and friends,

We must recognise that while significant progress has been made in furthering women’s rights and gender equality over the past few decades, intersecting human rights challenges such as the climate crisis, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing conflicts and tensions have already put this progress in jeopardy.

So, our efforts must continue to advance women’s rights and gender equality, which are indispensable for a just, peaceful and sustainable future.

I am convinced that through our joint commitment, we can support and amplify the voices of women and help shift our world towards equality and justice. 

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