MFA policy briefs on right to health and social protection
— November 5, 2013Migrant Forum in Asia has published two new policy briefs:
Right to health of low-skilled migrant workers.
Migrant workers and their families, like every human being, have a fundamental right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. Achieving this requires a human rights approach to health identified by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as reframing basic health needs as health rights. Thus becoming healthy and sustaining it is not merely a medical, technical or economic problem. Rather a question of social justice and concrete governmental obligations to individuals within their jurisdiction concerning maternal, child and reproductive health; healthy workplace environments; prevention treatment and control of diseases; and health facilities, goods and services.
Social protection for low-skilled migrant workers and their families.
The current dominance of neoliberal globalization has led to an attack on social protection systems around the world. Many citizens are experiencing the loss of social protection entitlements leading to increasing disparities and insecurity for many workers. The increase in informalization of work functions to place many workers in less secure contexts. Structural adjustment policies in most developing countries have led to an increase in the informal sector of work. Social protection has become an urgent issue for all workers; especially low skilled migrant workers who face triple disadvantages of discrimination, marginalization and vulnerability and are often excluded from social security benefits.
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