International Organization for Migration
Background
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. While not part of the United Nations system, IOM maintains close working relations with United Nations bodies and operational agencies, as well as with a wide range of international and non-governmental organizations. In addition, IOM is the designated cluster leader for camp management in humanitarian settings for natural disasters. Through its gender equality policy adopted in 2015, IOM is committed to ensuring that a gender perspective is mainstreamed throughout all IOM policies, activities and programming.
Areas of Focus
IOM’s main focus, with respect to violence against women, is on counter-trafficking, violence against women migrants, including women migrant workers and reduction of HIV vulnerabilities. It also addresses traditional practices such as female genital mutilation. The Organization is particularly attentive to violence against women in the context of complex emergencies and natural disasters, where women and children are disproportionately targets of abuse.
In this regard, it undertakes prevention activities; provides assistance to those affected by violence and/or trafficking; and provides assistance to trafficked victims for their voluntary return to countries of origin and their reintegration. IOM also facilitates access to voluntary counselling and testing of HIV and referral for treatment where needed for rape victims and for migrants to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, AIDS treatment, care and support.
Resources
Exploratory Assessment on Trafficking in Persons in the Caribbean: The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles, St. Lucia, Suriname (June 2005); Trinidad and Tobago (December 2006)
Who is the next victim? Vulnerability of young Romanian women to trafficking in human beings. IOM, 2004
IOM is supporting the development of Interagency GBV Minimum Standards.
Many of IOM’s overseas pre-departure cultural orientation programmes specifically address domestic violence, female genital mutilation and other such practices that are both harmful to women and against the prevailing rule of law. IOM is working on improving the way this is reflected in curriculum and key priority messages, in training manuals and in supporting activities. IOM is also exploring how to best adopt more effective learning methodologies in order for participants to understand the underlying reasons why these practices are illegal and may have serious consequences, including the removal of children from families by child protective services.