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of destination for women who
migrate, quite differing viewpoints
and opinions were expressed
on the presentations.
Plenary Session II, on Obstacles
and Challenges faced by
Migrant Women, was chaired
by the Hon. Kumari Selja,
Minister for Urban Employment
and Poverty Alleviation,
India, who gave a presentation
on the situation of migrant
women in India.
The first panelist, Ms. Bineta
Diop, represented the NGO
Femmes Africa Solidarité
(FAS) and she spoke on Gender
Based Violence within Migration.
She was followed by the
IOM Legal Officer, Ms. Jillyanne
Redpath, speaking on
Human Rights of Migrants –
Women’s Rights in Particular.
An Israeli academic, Prof.
Larissa Remennick, from Bar-
Ilan University lectured on Immigrant
Women from the Former
Soviet Union in Israel.
In questions and comments
from delegates representing
Portugal, Cameroon, Finland,
Mexico, Croatia, Uruguay,
Zambia, Georgia, the Republic
of Central Africa and Canada,
the movement of skilled workers
was considered more, as was
the place the media might play
in publicizing migration problems.
The role of and need to
address conflicts was also
raised.
The Conference participants
were able to choose their activity
in the afternoon, deciding
between a study tour or participation
in a workshop. The
workshops discussed two topics
– the first – How Women can
be Empowered by Migration -
Microfinance/micro-credits and
Female Entrepreneurs, relating
to the content of Plenary Ses-
sion I was chaired by Hon.
Diane Vincent of CIDA, and
the second, relating to Plenary
Session II, Increased Vulnerability
of Women during Migration
– Health Issues of Mobile
Populations was chaired by
Hon. Dr. Asha- Rose Mgiro,
Minister for Development of
Society, Women and Children,
Tanzania.
The study tours illustrated
Practices in coping with challenges
facing migrant women –
the community approach or Entrepreneurship
and Employment
for Migrant Women –
small business development.
The Plenary gathered together
again, chaired by Hon. Dr.
Maryam Ciroma, Minister for
Women’s Affairs and Youth
Development, Nigeria, to hear
reports from the study visits and
the conclusions which had been
drawn from the workshop discussions.
Hon. Diane Vincent,
reported on the deliberations of
Workshop 1 and Ms. Randi
Garber of CIMI on Workshop
2.
On Tuesday 27 September Plenary
Session III dealt with the
phenomenon of Trafficking in
Women: root causes and best
practices in prevention and
protection, return and reintegration.
In the Chair was Hon.
Maria Rauch-Kallat, Federal
Minister for Health and
Women’s Issues, Austria.
The expert Panel Presentations
concerned The Major Trafficking
Trends, by Ms. Kristiina
Kangaspunta,Officer-in-Charge,
Anti-human Trafficking Unit,
United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime, UNODC; Combating
Trafficking of Women in
Israel, Ms. Zahava Galon,
Member of Knesset, Chair, Parliamentary
Committee of In-
quiry into the Trafficking in
Women and Basic Principles to
Assist Victims of Trafficking, explained
by Ms. Theodora Suter,
Programme Officer, IOM.
The very lively question, answer
and discussion period that followed
expanded on many of the
points raised by the speakers and
touched on others such as trafficking
in human organs.
The fourth Plenary Session was
devoted to Diasporas and Development
– gender related
trends in personal and community
remittances. In the Chair
was Hon. Nicacia Vda. De
Solaeche, Minister for Development,
Repatriation and
Refugees, Paraguay.
The expert Presentations were:
Review of Current Gaps in Research
on Remittances and Gender
by Amb. Carmen Moreno,
Director, United Nations International
Research & Training Institute
for the Advancement of
Women, INSTRAW, The Emerging
Economic and Social Role of
the Diaspora: Canada’s Experience,
by Hon. Diane Vincent,
Executive Vice-President, Canadian
International Development
Agency (CIDA), The Role of Migrant/Community
Associations in
Development by Mr. Chukwu–
Emeka Chikezie, Executive Director,
African Foundation for
Development (AFFORD) and
finally, Shifting Power – Diaspora
women taking a lead in
community development: American
Jewish women and Israel, by
Ms. Rebecca Caspi, Executive
Director, World-wide Human
Resources, American Joint Jewish
Distribution Committee
(AJJDC).
Workshops in language groups
gave the opportunity for closer
analysis of the subjects that had
been under discussion during
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