The United States’ embassy to the Holy See on Thursday sponsored the second in a series
of Town Hall Meetings on Migration, this time talking about the experience of women.
The event brought together government officials and church leaders, including the
President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
People, Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò. The United States Ambassador to the Holy See,
Miguel H. Díaz, was the moderator of the event.
“We need to listen to the experiences
of women – and put aside prejudices and put aside prejudgements – and listen to their
stories and listen to the reasons why they migrate and listen to their cry and to
their needs and to their vision,” Ambassador Díaz told Vatican Radio after the event.
He
said the conversation focused on the migrant as a human person.
“We spoke about
respect and defence of basic human rights, when it comes to the personal rights of
women and the social rights that accompany migrants in terms of the laws established
at the international level,” he said.
Listen to the interview by Christine
Seuss with Ambassador Díaz:
Below
is the full text of the intervention by Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò
Building
bridges of opportunity: Women and Migration Town Hall Panel Discussion
24th May 2012
H.E. CARDINAL ANTONIO MARIA VEGLIO President
of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
People
Signor Ambasciatore, Distinti ospiti, Dear all,
I
am happy to be here with you today, upon invitation of His Excellency the Ambassador
of the United States of America to the Holy See, joining this Town Hall Discussion
on the particular vulnerabilities that face women migrants. My contribution is mainly
focussing on the role of the Church to address women’s migration issue, in my capacity
as resident of the Dicastery of the Holy See that cares for the pastoral assistance
of migrants and itinerant people.
1. Women’s hope Women in forced migration,
despite everything that has happened to them in their lives, respond to their situation
with remarkable courage, resourcefulness and creativity. They believe wholeheartedly
that the future offers change and possibilities, and are confident to reconstruct
their lives. They are convinced that their children will be educated and successful.
And it is visible in their smiles. … the smiles that seemed to suggest “tomorrow will
be better.”
2. Women facing threats and violence However, each of them
has faced a tragic situation full of brute force, violence and traumatic experiences.
Most conflicts nowadays are civil wars, in which civilians are accounting for
more than 80% of deaths. Women are increasing part of those who are forced to move.
At present 43 million people fled their homes because of war or human rights violations,
of which 80 percent are women, children and young people. They are facing special
needs reflecting their situation. It is common that during the flight they lost
one or more children, since they were running into the opposite direction.
Women
and girls have become the targets in the many conflicts, leading to abduction and
brutality. Their vulnerability is deliberately exploited in order to dehumanise them,
to create fear in the region and to disrupt daily life. That’s why they are raped,
and forced into sexual slavery. Its impact is not just on the individual’s physical
and psychological health, but is also felt at the family and community levels. Rape
has been used strategically, as a weapon of war in attempts to destroy the opposing
culture, leading to ‘ethnic cleansing’, and to control the territory. If women do
not comply with their captors, they are often killed.
3. Women in camps Once
escaped, the displacement is followed by a stay in camps inside or outside the country.
However, even these camps do not protect them sufficiently. Women risk sexual violence
when collecting firewood. In many countries they are not allowed to work, resulting
in dependency on aid organisations. Shortages of basic items and cuts in food rations
can put women and girls under pressure to go into survival sex.
That stay in
camps can take years and years. At present the average length of time in displaced
is 17 years, a lifetime for those displaced as young children or born in one of the
camps. One could raise the question which future do these children face, who do not
have any other experience than a camp life. But also how do cope parents seeing their
children grow up under such circumstances?
If they settle in urban areas, they
face other challenges. They are living among the local population, the urban poor,
with whom they have to compete for employment, social and other infrastructural services.
Many times they are living without the necessary documents, which further complicates
life.
4. Commitment of the International Community This all happens
despite the obligations of the international community to protect them, in accordance
with the letter and the spirit of human rights, refugee and international humanitarian
law. This includes having access to basic items as food, shelter, clothing and medical
care, but also the right of work and free movement.
Women also have to adapt
to their new life. They have to assume new roles and responsibilities, many times
as head of the household. If resettled, children have to get used to a new society,
culture and language. The situation for the parents is even more problematic. An adaptation
to ordinary daily life activities, sometimes quite different or not known in the country
of origin, needs to take place. How to wash windows, when you have been living in
the tropics in a house without glass windows? How to clean the kitchen, when you have
been cooking outside? Which plants are flowers and which ones are weeds which need
to be cut? They are important to become accepted by the neighbours and gradually become
integrated into society.
Women refugees express themselves that they want
to have a new future, and seen as human beings. As one of them said: “We need to be
integrated into society. Then we can contribute to our second country. We hear sweet
words, but this is not the reality. We do not get documents. The hurt has to be taken
away. We need more than food. Do they know the really deep down problems of refugees?
We are human beings with feelings. Look for solutions for our children. Do not talk,
but do some practical things. We do not ask for psychological assistance, but an encounter
with people who show that they care”.
5. Commitment of the Church Such
remarks are also heard by Church organisations, who act on them. The Jesuit Refugee
Service, the International Catholic Migration Commission, Caritas, Episcopal commissions
and members of Caritas Internationalis. They are all present on the ground. Sometimes
assisting materially, preparing ways for resettlement, dealing with the physical,
emotional and psychosocial needs of women and adolescent girl mothers and developing
social and economic reintegration programmes.
The church community is called
to accompany displaced women and girls with quality, affection and care; along with
a specialized attention toward those who have been wounded in their dignity and deprived
of their innocence.
6. Trafficking in human beings May I raise a question?
Do you always buy at the lowest price? Many people take that into account. Another
question to raise would also be: How are these products made, what were the working
conditions? Under which conditions were these products harvested? After all it is
quite well possible that the products we buy are made under forced labour conditions,
one form of trafficking in human beings. Trafficking is happening in our backgarden.
One has to remark that almost every country is confronted with trafficking problems,
whether it is sexual exploitation, forced labour or bonded labour, child soldiers,
or abusive ways of adoption. No country is excluded from it. It is a human right abuse.
Persons have been deceived about the goals of their future activities and are no longer
free to decide about their live. They end up in slavery-like situations or servitude
from which it is very difficult to escape. Threats and violence are used to obtain
this. The root causes of trafficking are not just poverty and unemployment in developing
countries. The demand for cheap labour, low priced products or “exotic or unusual
sex” is also a root cause of trafficking that must be addressed. Victims should
be protected and assisted, whereby we must ensure that they have access to justice,
social and legal assistance and compensation for damages that they have suffered. The
integration of victims includes medical care and psycho-social counselling, accommodation,
residence permit and access to employment. In certain cases it means the return to
the home country with micro projects and/or loans. One has to be careful that they
do not return to the same circumstances which make trafficking again possible.
7.
The Church in the forefront The Church in many different countries is involved
in assisting the victims by being present with them. This involves listening to them,
providing assistance, giving support to escape from sexual violence, creating safe
houses, counselling geared towards integration into society or helping them to return
in a sustainable way to their home country. In addition prevention and raising awareness
activities are promoted. Women religious congregations started years ago in different
countries by assisting trafficked women for sexual exploitation. An International
Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons, Talitha Kum, has come
into existence in 82 countries, while COATNET (Christian Organisations against Trafficking
in Human Beings) is present in thirty countries and is operating under the legal authority
of Caritas Internationalis.
8. Conclusion Preventive measures are made
up of the implementation of anti-trafficking laws, the adoption of labour laws and
the regulation of employment conditions, and consequently their enforcement. A special
responsibility rests with the consumer who should be aware of conditions under which
products are cultivated or manufactured. The introduction of trade labels and codes
of conduct could strengthen decent labour conditions. Combatting trafficking in
human beings is a task for the Church, governments, NGOs, employers and business,
labour unions and the general public, together with all women and men of good will:
fighting together makes the difference, Important steps are dialogue and cooperation:
exactly what we are doing today in this meeting, which is already faithful and successful
towards sharing our views and efforts in order to help women migrants to build bridges
of opportunity. Thank you.