International Migrants Day
Women migrate to build safer and better futures, yet doing so can expose them to profound risks. Gender inequality, discriminatory laws and unequal access to information shape every step – from leaving home to finding work to seeking support when things go wrong. These barriers make it harder for women to migrate safely, access services, and exercise their rights.
Across many regions, migrant women take on low-paid and informal work in agriculture, hospitality, and domestic and care work – sectors where oversight is weak and exploitation thrives. This can often mean long working hours, withheld wages, coercion, and violence behind closed doors. Limited access to justice, language barriers, and fear of deportation often prevent survivors from seeking help.
Despite these risks, women continue to move, support their families and sustain economies. Women deserve migration systems that recognise their contributions and protect their rights.
care workers globally are migrant women
of trafficking victims are women and girls
of victims of domestic servitude are women and girls
Debunking five common myths about migrant women
Migrant women are too often boxed into harmful stereotypes that shape how they’re treated – from being cast as victims to being blamed as threats. These myths fuel discrimination, exclusion and even violence.
Discover five of the most common myths and the truths behind them.
Migrant women at risk of violence and exploitation
Migrant women - especially domestic and care workers - face high risks of violence, trafficking and exploitation.
This explainer outlines what drives this violence and what must change.
