India is one of the largest countries of origin, transit and destination for international migrants. Over the years, there has been an increasing trend of feminization of international migration in the country with women accounting for 49 per cent of all migrants from India. Domestic work is the largest sector driving international female labour migration. Migrant women domestic workers face a host of challenges and a range of human rights violations across the different stages of the migration cycle, i.e. at the time of pre-departure, during transit, during in-service and upon return.
UN Women India MCO works towards strengthening gender-responsive migration of women domestic workers from India to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by raising awareness on the risks of unsafe and irregular migration and by informing aspiring women migrant workers about their rights and entitlements which ensure safe and legal migration. UN Women also leads advocacy for the design and implementation of policies and programmes that target safe and informed migration of women domestic workers including the institutionalization of pre-departure orientation training and mass awareness campaigns.