SAMM Project - Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region

Terms of Reference

Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region

Southern African Migration Management Project

External collaborator (individual or service) contract

June 2021

Submission Deadline: midnight South Africa Standard Time 4^th July 2021

1. Introduction

The Southern African Migration Management (SAMM) Project, funded by the European Commission, is a four-year project to improve migration management in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region. The SAMM Project is implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The specific objectives (SO) and key results areas (KRA) of the project are as follows:

• SO1: Improved policy environment for labour migration across the region and improved access to legal and efficient means of labour mobility for (prospective) labour migrants.
• KRA1.1: Rights-based legal and efficient channels of labour migration and mobility (including appropriate protection measures for migrant workers) promoted and put in place in the Southern Africa / Indian Ocean region.
• KRA1.2: A Southern African and Indian Ocean migration observatory established and fully operational.
• SO2: Strengthened and informed decision-making as well as management of mixed migration flows, including improved protection of vulnerable migrants in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region.
• KRA2: Evidence-based management strategies and policies to address mixed migration challenges, including assurance of appropriate protection frameworks for vulnerable migrants, are formulated and implemented.

The project targets the following regional organizations: i) the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); ii) the Southern African Development Community (SADC); and iii) the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). The project focuses on the Southern African Region, and targets the following 16 SADC countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

There has been an increased acknowledgement of the role of women in migration. In 2017, women accounted for 42% of the 164 million migrant workers around the world.[1] The international migration of women, either with their family or on their own, is an increasingly important and complex characteristic of our globalised world of work. However, the phenomenon remains insufficiently documented, owing to a lack of data. A recent ILO report on women migrant workers in West Africa finds that this is compounded by the fact that women migrants mostly engage in the informal economy, for which it is harder to obtain data, and that some women migrant workers are undocumented, temporary workers or cross-border traders.[2] New ILOSTAT data offer insights on the profile of women looking for work and better opportunities abroad. ILOSTAT data show that the share of women in the working-age migrant population increased over the past decade in 24 out of the 63 countries for which time series are available, with particularly large growth seen in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia and Viet Nam. In most European countries, the female share of migrants remained consistently high over that period.[3]

The phenomenon of feminisation of migration,[4] i.e. an increase in the number of women migrants (in absolute terms or as a proportion of the total), is however not as evident in Africa compared with other regions. In fact, data from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) show that the feminisation of migration – based on the share of women migrants in the total international migrant stock – has mostly been seen in developed countries, where the stock of women migrants increased slightly and stood above 50% in 1990–2017. At the global level, there has been a slight decline, as women made up 49% of the total international migrant stock in 1990 and 48.4% in 2017, and a similar trend has been seen in developing countries, as the share of women migrants declined in 2005–2015.[5] What are the trends in Africa?

Migration is vital to Africa, and labour migration is a cornerstone of the continent’s economic development. The contemporary economic migration in Africa has traditionally been largely male-dominated, yet women’s migration is rising in importance across the continent. A growing number of women migrate for work and education and to pursue other economic opportunities in the region. In Southern Africa, growing demand for labour in major economic hubs have prompted rising levels of migration.[6] What do we know about these women on the move? What are the key gender dimensions that shape labour migration in Southern Africa?

Against this backdrop, these Terms of Reference (ToR) define the background, purpose and outputs of this consultancy, which serves to produce a study on women migrant workers’ labour market situation in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region, as well as on gender dimensions of and gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers in the sub-region. The type of contract is either Individual Contract (independent consultant) or Service Contract (research institution).

2. Background

Gender considerations are a crucial dimension that affects both the reasons for and the experiences of migration. Socially constructed roles, expectations and power relations impact the whole migration process and translate into inequality of opportunity and treatment for women and men migrant workers. Women migrant workers face a dual challenge: they are at the intersection of two groups – women and migrants – that are often marginalised and facing various labour market barriers. Crises such as the one induced by the COVID‑19 pandemic cannot but exacerbate their vulnerability. In most countries for which data are available, the COVID‑19 crisis has had a greater effect on unemployment among migrants than non-migrants. Among migrants, women are at higher risk of losing their job than men, as they are often in less stable employment, more concentrated in low‑skilled, low‑paid and frequently informal jobs.[7]

That said, many of the women migrants who have been able to continue to work are in essential occupations in which physical distancing is hard to implement. In many countries, women migrants make up the majority of health workers, which means that they have been bearing a higher risk of infection during the pandemic and have had to work longer hours to handle the larger number of patients and cover for sick colleagues. During this crisis, women migrant workers – like many other women – have often had to fulfil additional (unpaid) caring and educational responsibilities as a result of the closure of schools and childcare services. Among the additional challenges and vulnerabilities that women migrants have disproportionately faced during the pandemic are a higher incidence of poverty and poor housing conditions, compounding the risk of infection and the lack of social protection which prevents access to healthcare or sick leave. [8]

Accurate sex-disaggregated data and in-depth analysis of international labour migration and its gender dimensions and gaps, taking into account the effects of the current pandemic where possible, are more important than ever to help with the design of effective, gender-responsive policies that address the specific needs of women migrant workers and enable them to access decent work, equal pay, equal opportunities and fair treatment in their countries of destination.

A regional snapshot

Throughout its history, the circulation of people, goods and ideas has contributed to the evolution of this continent and in the face of demographic, socio-economic and environmental factors, this flow has intensified. Today, economic migration is a key characteristic of development and movements in Africa, featured by relocations to main economic hubs for employment and other economic opportunities.[9] Expert studies and data show that migration, especially labour migration, is a major enabler and beneficiary of regional integration and economic development in Africa. The continent is intertwined through significant South-South migration corridors through which people move to neighbouring labour markets in the search for a job and better wages. Almost all African countries participate in migration flows, whether as countries of origin, transit or destination, and often African migrant workers, asylum seekers and forcibly displaced persons use the same migration routes. For countries of origin, transit and destination alike, international migration plays a vital role in the socio-economic development.[10]

International migration in Africa has accelerated in the last decades: from 13.3 million migrants in 2008 to 25.4 million in 2017 – an immense increase of 91.2%. Most of them, 19.7 million, were of working age, and there were an estimated 14.4 million international migrant workers in 2017.[11] International migrant stocks remain mainly intra-African (80%),[12] and the main countries of destination for intra-African international migrants are South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Kenya. Important drivers of labour movements across borders are demand in such sectors as agriculture, fishing, mining and construction, and more recently also growing demand in retail trade and services such as domestic work, healthcare, cleaning, restaurants and hotels as well as in more skill-intensive sectors like finance, information technology and engineering. As a result, the migration of skills has become a key characteristic of contemporary intra-African economic migration. With the deepening of regional and continental integration, including through increased trade and transportation, harnessing of networks and diasporas and the facilitated movement of people, intra-African migration is expected to grow further.[13]

Looking at the gender distribution of international migrant stocks in countries within the continent, the region recorded a slight decrease in the share of women migrants, from 47.2% in 1990 to 45% in 2005, recovering to 47% in 2017. Comparatively, Southern Africa has consistently reported a lower share and Northern Africa experienced a substantial decline in women’s migration in 1990–2005. These figures suggest that although there have been increasing numbers of African women migrating, the share of women migrants has not increased at a continental level. ILO data shows that women migrant workers in Africa represent 0.3 million in Northern Africa and 3.6 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women migrants in Northern Africa have a labour force participation rate of 33% and women migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa 47.3%.[14]

In Africa, the growing precariousness of the labour force is pushing both women and men to seek employment in their home country and abroad. While African women continue to migrate mostly for family reasons, they are increasingly migrating for employment on their own account, and often as their family’s primary income earner. The rise in women national workers joining the labour force has resulted in an increasing demand for women migrants in some main countries of destination. Indeed, the growing labour market demand in the agricultural, as well as the care sector, hotel and restaurant services, cleaning services, and others is serving as a magnet.

People migrate not only in search of better employment opportunities and better lives, but also to flee political unrest and instability, armed conflict, crisis, environmental disasters and climate change impacts, local violence or intra-familial and personal situations, such as domestic violence. Different forms of violence against women can push women and girls to escape and migrate. Research has established that motivations to migrate may be multiple and overlapping, and people's situation can change during the journey and time spent in the destination countries. That different legal frameworks can apply to the same people at different moments also points to the complexity of migration, sometimes blurring the legal distinction between economic migrants, refugees and other people of concern. This, too, has gender dimensions, and migration policies may have differentiated impacts on women and men. Migration and border-management policies influence international migration opportunities and challenges, including access to different migration statuses.[15]

A Southern African snapshot

Zooming in on Southern Africa, we see that international migration has accelerated. Between 2000 and 2017, the international migrant stock more than tripled, from 1.22 million to 4.34 million, or from 2.3% to 6.7% as a share of the total population. Of these international migrants, the share of women migrants grew from 41% in 2000 to 45% in 2017.[16] In SADC, the number of women migrants in the labour force increased from 38.1 million in 2008 to 48.8 million in 2017, thus representing a 28% increase while that of men migrants increased from 50.7 million to 64.7 million, which represents a 27.7% increase. Although there are more women in working age than men, it is evident that men continue to dominate in the region’s labour force, with a participation rate of 69.5% compared to women’s 50.5% in 2017. This clearly shows the need to develop and implement gender-responsive, evidence-based policies to bridge gender gaps in the region.[17]

The rising levels of migration seem linked to demand for labour in major economic hubs in the sub-region. For example, the growing number of women migrants from Zimbabwe in cross-border trade and other migrant niches is largely due to current dynamics in socio-economic structures, the decline in traditionally “men-centred” forms of livelihoods and an increase in female-headed households, as a result of structural adjustment polices.[18] At the same time, women are increasingly engaging in formal contract migration, for instance, women from Lesotho in contract agricultural employment in South Africa.[19]

South Africa is the most popular destination for migrants originating from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe,[20] who are attracted by South Africa’s larger economy and demand for labour in various sectors. Southern Africa has alternated between being a net-sending and net-receiving region, reflecting ongoing regional dynamics, with political instability driving migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa.[21] The share of separated, divorced or widowed migrants is higher among women migrants than men migrants, and almost one quarter (23%) of women migrants from Zimbabwe are separated, divorced or widowed.[22]

Sex-disaggregated data of high quality is a cornerstone to develop and implement gender-responsive policies and measures. That said, the gender dimensions of labour migration go far beyond merely reporting sex-disaggregated data. Another key aspect to look at is gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers, and what policy solutions could be proposed to address those gaps.

A snapshot of gender dimensions and gaps

Insufficient legal coverage is an underlying contributor to the decent work deficits for women migrant workers across the region. African States face challenges in terms of developing and enforcing laws and policies that address the needs of women migrant workers. Often legislation is gender blind, or directly or indirectly establishes barriers to women’s regular migration into formal jobs. In particular, bans (in e.g. Madagascar and Ethiopia) imposed on women’s migration into specific sectors or countries, have been seen to promote the growth of unlicensed recruiters and increase the risk of forced labour or trafficking as well as reduce women’s access to assistance. A lack of understanding of the specificities of women’s labour migration, the barriers they face and the policy responses needed to ensure that labour migration is fair and safe for women is commonly behind the legislative frameworks that are not gender-responsive. This is often accompanied by limited resources and, in some cases, lack of political will and further compounded by the lack of standardised and sex-disaggregated data on migration.

The sectors where African women migrants dominate are often featured by significant decent work deficits. African women migrants are essential workers on the frontlines in the pandemic, yet their work remains undervalued and even invisible. This calls for an intersectional approach in the analysis of these trends, taking into intersecting characteristics such as gender, migration status, race, age, sexuality, religion and migrant status.[23] An intersectional analysis of migration shows how the interplay of identity markers is intertwined with politics and economics, notably border politics.[24] Analyses show that where grounds of discrimination intersect – such as in the case of a young, undocumented migrant domestic worker in the informal economy – the risk of violence and harassment in the world of work is exacerbated.[25] Health and HIV status is another such intersecting dimension. A large number of migrant workers in South Africa had significant challenges in accessing healthcare services when they got sick, which was exacerbated by prevalent levels of HIV/AIDS infections amongst them.[26]

More concretely, these challenges are related to gender-blind and gender-biased labour migration policies and could include:

• Discrimination, violence and harassment[27] that limit many women’s access to safe migration, fair recruitment and decent work throughout the migration cycle, as well as their ability to have a positive migration experience. Women have fewer options than men for regular migration, and are often employed in lower-paid sectors in the informal economy, with few – if any – labour protections. In particular, women migrant workers are over-represented in domestic and care work, an occupation which is not covered by many labour laws in the region.
• Gender pay gaps – women migrants usually receive the lowest wages compared to men migrant workers and women and men national workers. Among 60 countries analysed, the migrant gender pay gap is widest in Ghana, Mali and Tanzania, where in all three cases women migrant workers earn around 80% less than their male counterparts. In Botswana, women migrant workers earn 40% less than men migrant workers.[28]
• Limited organization and voice of women migrants – including of those in situations of poverty. Challenges in joining or forming workers’ organisations can create important barriers to organizing and advocating for labour rights.
• Poor working conditions, particularly lack of regulation of working hours and low wages. Large numbers of women migrant workers confront situations such as withholding of wages, illegal deduction of fees, insufficient daily, weekly and holidays’ rest periods, no payment of overtime and annual leave, withholding of passports and other identity documents, unjustified demands to carry out tasks other than those specified in the contract (such as cleaning other family members’ houses) and unjustified terminations.
• Lack of freedom of movement is common among certain women migrant workers. For instance, workers in the domestic work sector who are not permitted enough daily rest and often no weekly rest periods.
• Lack or little respect for their human and labour rights.
• Deskilling and lack of recognition and portability of skills of especially low-skilled women migrant workers as well as lack of access to skills development.[29]
• Women migrant workers in an irregular situation – women migrant workers in an irregular situation continue to represent at least a third of all migration flows and many of them fall victims of trafficking and forced labour situations.
• Lack of access to justice and opportunity to voice their grievances – due to the invisibility of workplace environment, physical isolation and restricted movement, they have less access to lodge a complaint and seek redress.

Extending labour and social protections to migrant workers, and eliminating the laws, policies and income differences that sustain the bad working conditions of especially women migrant workers could significantly contribute to reducing gender inequality, poverty and social exclusion.

The ILO's mandate to promote gender equality in the world of work is enshrined in its Constitution and reflected in relevant international labour standards. The key ILO gender equality Conventions are the:

• Equal Remuneration Convention (No. 100)
• Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (No. 111)[30]
• Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention (No. 156)
• Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183)
• Violence and Harassment Convention (No. 190)

In principle, all international labour standards, unless otherwise stated, are applicable to migrant workers. There are also instruments containing specific provisions on migrant workers, such as:

• Private Employment Agencies Convention (No. 181)
• Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189), along with Recommendation No. 201 concerning domestic workers
• Social security instruments, e.g. Recommendation No. 202 on social protection floors recognises the need to apply the principles of non-discrimination, gender equality and responsiveness to the special needs of certain groups, such as women migrant workers.[31]

Introduction to this assignment

The ILO is producing a series of sub-r**egional reports on African women migrant workers’ labour market situation** which will be integrated into a Regional Report. In light of this important work, and in the context of the SAMM project’s work to improve migration management in Southern Africa, the project, with technical support of the Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT), seeks to publish a study on *Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region*, where possible backed by quantitative evidence and new statistics and estimates. The study will also look at the gender dimensions of and gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers in the sub-region.

3. Objectives and methodology

Objectives

The objective of this consultancy is to produce a study on Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region, and on the gender dimensions of and gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers in the sub-region. The study/chapter will be based on desk review of law, policy and practice, as well as analysis of available quantitative data. If possible, it will include interviews with key stakeholders and focus groups. It will include information on laws, regulations and policies that address the specific needs of women migrant workers, and on progress made in this area in the past 10 years. To the extent possible, the study will highlight existing and new statistics on this workforce based on country-level data and/or surveys on women migrant workers generally and on the significant proportion of women migrants in certain occupations and sectors.

Comparing them to men migrant workers, but also to men and women national workers, the study will describe women migrant workers’ working conditions and wages, regular migration opportunities offered to them, labour market integration, concentration in the informal economy and other labour and social protection issues. Lastly, the study will explore whether women migrant workers suffer from deskilling and lack of recognition and portability of skills in larger numbers than men migrant workers.

The study will become part of a series of sub-regional reports on women migrant workers within and abroad the African continent which will be composed of comparable studies on Western Africa; Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; and Northern Africa and which will also be integrated into a Regional Report.

The Regional Report will contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals’ target 8.8 (Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment) and target 10.7 (Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies). It will also contribute to achieving SDG 5 Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls.

Labour Migration thematic areas covered in the sub-regional study:

• Summary of international labour standards on the protection of women migrant workers;
• Statistics/estimates of migrant workers in the region, disaggregated by gender, migrant status and nationality, where such statistics are already available or can be generated;
• Mapping of available official quantitative data and complimentary qualitative information to estimate the contribution of women and men migrant workers across key selected sectors, at national levels;
• Policies and/or strategies related to gender dimensions of and gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers in general and women migrant workers in particular, at regional (SADC, COMESA, IOC) and national levels;
• Bilateral labour migration/circular migration agreements of relevance for women migrant workers across the region and with third countries;
• Process review of women migrant workers’ labour market situation, including good practices concerning initiatives towards fair recruitment and decent employment for migrant workers in the region; and
• Social protection for women migrant workers.

Sections included in the sub-regional study:

• Introduction
• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• Review of ILO and UN standards on the protection of women migrant workers (with contribution to be provided by the ILO)
• Law, policy and practice review of women migrant workers’ labour market situation during the migration process. This would include:

o Brief overview of women’s labour market situation/status of women in countries concerned (labour market segregation, equal pay, sectors of employment, type of occupations, services)
o Analysis of laws and policies affecting the situation of women’s migration for work (including labour law, migration law, family law, recruitment policies)
o Any restrictions on women’s employment (bans on certain sectors, or countries)
o Pre-departure information and training (different approach for men and women)
o Access to information and services (e.g. social protection):
o Access to skills development, skills recognition;
o Working and living conditions, decent work deficits (see above);
o Access to collective bargaining;
o Access to justice

• Analysis of data and data availability on women migrant workers at national levels in the region. This would include:

o Regional and national level trends in sex-disaggregated migration data
o Analysis of quantitative gender gaps in decent work outcomes for labour migration

• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Annexes

Methodology

The consultant(s) will apply a mixed-methods methodology consisting of several steps to produce the study on gender dimensions of and gender gaps in decent work outcomes for migrant workers in the region and women migrant workers with country-level estimates and information on progress made in law and policy in the countries covered by the project, where available. If conditions and health precautions allow, visit to selected countries are envisaged for in depth research, and follow-up data collection and stakeholder discussions. Where data is available and national figures are included in the study, coordination with the ILO Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT) and Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch (GEDI) is expected, with the support of SAMM supervising staff. New statistics and estimates should also be generated for selected countries based on recent population census and/or survey information and microdata.

This report is being commissioned at the same time as a report on migrant domestic workers in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region. Coordination with the researcher/author of that second report is required, in order to ensure complementarity between the reports and to minimise duplication of contents, findings, and results. SAMM supervising staff will facilitate communication between consultants.

Sources of information include:

• Review of available literature, policy documents, data and other information, including from international and regional institutions and national stakeholders;
• Discussion with national stakeholders including government departments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, networks of women migrant workers, etc.

4. Outputs

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

• Detailed workplan including methodological framework, preliminary secondary sources to be used, and potential timelines.
• Draft analytical report of no more than 50 pages.
• Final analytical report, with sections on each of the thematic areas identified, of no more than 50 pages, including regional-level policy. Final report should be of publishable standard. The structure should be agreed in advance with the SAMM CTA.
• Metadata database of sources used (detailed reference lists, databases accessed and type and quality of information available in each, etc.).
• Up to 3 advocacy products based on the research findings and implications, tailored to various audiences (such as policy briefs, PowerPoint presentations, flyers, briefs, etc.).

5. Timeline, budget and payment

The contract is for 30 non-consecutive days. Transport and logistics costs to undertake the assignment will be assessed at a later stage, depending on feasibility of face-to-face meetings due to COVID-19 lockdown measures.

The report will be completed under the overall supervision of the ILO Chief Technical Advisor of the SAMM project and ILO Labour Migration Specialist in Pretoria, who will liaise with SAMM implementing partners.

Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisor on the outputs delivered. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements, the consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding to payment.

Payments will be organized according to outputs achieved:

1. Output 1 – Detailed workplan including methodological framework, preliminary secondary sources to be used, and potential timelines, 20%

2. Output 2 – Draft analytical report of no more than 50 pages, following the structure agreed with the SAMM CTA, as well as metadata database of sources used, 40%

3. Output 3 – Final analytical report of publishable standard, with sections on each of the thematic areas identified, of no more than 50 pages, following the agreed structure, as well as up to 3 tailor-made advocacy products, 40%.

6. Qualifications

Education: Advanced degree in social science.

Experience: Demonstrated experience in the fields of migration, gender, and quantitative data analysis, including on labour and mixed migration issues, and in working with international agencies, in particular the UN agencies implementing the SAMM project as well as COMESA, IOC and SADC. Country-level experience in at least some of the countries targeted by the project. Proven experience in carrying out analytical work in public policy, in particular on gender-responsive labour migration policies, laws, and trends. Strong knowledge of international standards on international labour migration and gender equality is required.

Languages: Excellent command of English; working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is an advantage. Outstanding communication and writing skills are required.

7. Expression of interest

The ILO is interested in considering proposals from both individual consultants and research institutions.

Candidates should submit:

• Updated CV and/or institutional profile;
• A technical proposal (Expression of Interest) not exceeding 4 pages in length with a description of the proposed research approach to carry out the required work;
• A detailed financial proposal expressed in daily fees to achieve expected outputs.

Please consider that:

• Transport and logistics costs to undertake the assignment will be assessed at a later stage, depending on feasibility of face-to-face meetings due to COVID-19 lockdown measures, hence they should not be included in the budget.
• The ILO only contracts individuals or companies in its Suppliers Database. If not already registered, forms will be supplied upon receipt of proposals.

The technical and financial proposal submissions should reach the ILO no later than midnight South Africa Standard Time 4^th July 2021 and should be sent to the following emails: samm-project@ilo.org and cc’d to ngoveni@ilo.org.

8. Preliminary list of references to be used

· African Union, 2020. Report on Labour migration Statistics in Africa, second edition**

· African Union, 2020. Regional Migration Profile: Southern African Development Community (SADC)**

· ILO, 2020. Who are the women on the move? A portrait of female migrant workers

· ILO, 2020. Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in West Africa

· ILO, 2018. ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers – Results and Methodology (Second edition)

· ILO, 2015. ILO Global estimates on migrant workers: Results and methodology, first edition

· Relevant ILO websites, such as the Gender equality portal

· IOM, 2020. COVID-19 and women migrant workers: Impacts and implications

· UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report – Migration for Structural Transformation

· UNDESA, 2019. International migrant stock 2019

· UNODC, 2019. Gender and migration, Module 13: Gender Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants

A more detailed desk review is to be carried out by the consultant, including but not limited to technical documents, academic studies, reports, datasheets, presentations and other online information.

[1] ILO, 2018. ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers – Results and Methodology (Second edition)

[2] ILO, 2020. Women migrant workers’ labour market situation in West Africa

[3] ILO, 2020. Who are the women on the move? A portrait of female migrant workers

[4] See, for example, Pfeiffer L, Richter S, Fletcher P and Taylor JE, 2007. Gender in economic research on international migration and its impacts: A critical review. In Morrison AR, Schiff M, Sjöblom M, eds. The International Migration of Women. World Bank and Palgrave Macmillan.

[5] UNDESA, 2019. International migrant stock 2019; UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report

[6] UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report – Migration for Structural Transformation

[7] ILO, 2020. Who are the women on the move? A portrait of female migrant workers

[8] ILO, 2020. Who are the women on the move? A portrait of female migrant workers

[9] African Union (AU), 2020. Report on Labour migration Statistics in Africa, second edition; UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report – Migration for Structural Transformation

[10] AU, 2020. Report on Labour migration Statistics in Africa; ILO, n.d. Labour Migration in Africa

[11] AU, 2020. Report on Labour migration Statistics in Africa. Note that the ILO global estimate on international migrant workers in Africa is 13 million, due to different methodological approaches used.

[12] Flahaux, M.L. and De Hass, H., 2016. African migration: trends, patterns, drivers, Comparative Migration Studies. Note that inter-regional corridors to the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council countries are growing, as are more traditional flows to Europe and North America (ILO, n.d. Labour Migration in Africa).

[13] AU, 2020. Report on Labour migration Statistics in Africa; ILO, n.d. Labour Migration in Africa; UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report

[14] ILO, 2018. ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers – Results and Methodology, second edition

[15] UNODC, 2019.*Gender and migration: Gender Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants*

[16] UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report – Migration for Structural Transformation

[17] AU, 2020. Regional Migration Profile: Southern African Development Community (SADC)

[18] Andall, J., 2018. Intra-African Female Labour Migration: Common Issues, Work and Rights (UNCTAD); Muzvidziwa, 2001. Muzvidziwa V., 2001. Zimbabwe’s cross-border women traders: Multiple identities and responses to new challenges. Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 19(1):67–80.

[19] Katseli L.T., Lucas, R.E.B. and Xenogiani, T., 2006. Effects of migration on sending countries: What do we know? Working Paper No. 250. OECD Development Centre

[20] UNDESA, 2019. International migrant stock 2019

[21] UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report – Migration for Structural Transformation

[22] University of Sussex, 2018. Migrating Out of Poverty: Migration data

[23] See, for example, Hurlbert, E.L., 2020. Undocumented women domestic workers in South Africa: and intersectional look at marginalisation and inequality

[24] UNODC, 2019.*Gender and migration*: Gender Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants

[25] ILO, 2019. A quantum leap for gender equality: for a better future of work for all

[26] Peberdy, S. and Dinat, N., 2005. Migration and Domestic Workers: Worlds of Work, Health and Mobility in Johannesburg

[27] The definition set out in Article 1 of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) should be used. See also ILO, 2019. Ending violence and harassment in the world of work background report for the ILC.

[28] ILO, 2020. Who are the women on the move? A portrait of female migrant workers

[29] For information on e.g. skill levels of migrants in origin vs destination countries in South Africa and Zimbabwe, see UNCTAD, 2018. Economic Development in Africa 2018 Report

[30] Conventions 100 and 111 are among the eight fundamental Conventions, and the principles and rights enshrined in those are found in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

[31] ILO, n.d. International labour standards on labour migration; ILO, n.d. ILO and gender equality

How to apply:

Applications

The ILO is interested in considering proposals from both individual consultants and research institutions.

Candidates should submit:

• Updated CV and/or institutional profile;
• A technical proposal (Expression of Interest) not exceeding 4 pages in length with a description of the proposed research approach to carry out the required work;
• A detailed financial proposal expressed in daily fees to achieve expected outputs.

Please consider that:

• Transport and logistics costs to undertake the assignment will be assessed at a later stage, depending on feasibility of face-to-face meetings due to COVID-19 lockdown measures, hence they should not be included in the budget.
• The ILO only contracts individuals or companies in its Suppliers Database. If not already registered, forms will be supplied upon receipt of proposals.

The technical and financial proposal submissions should reach the ILO no later than midnight South Africa Standard Time 4^thJuly 2021 and should be sent to the following emails: samm-project@ilo.org and cc’d to ngoveni@ilo.org.