Happy International Women’s Day! This is a monthly update from BEBESEA to our valuable friends, colleagues and resource persons who have participated in and supported our activities.

News from BEBESEA:

Press Conference: BEBESEA in collaboration with HRWG Indonesia, JBMI Hong Kong – Macau, Beranda Perempuan, Asia Pacific Women Forum on Law and Development (APWLD), and Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) hosted a press conference to demand Indonesia’s further commitment to protect all domestic migrant workers highlighting the case of Kartika Puspitasari, a former domestic worker in Hong Kong. Watch the replay here (in Indonesian language) and read more about Kartika’s case and its advocacy here (in Indonesian language). Press release is available here. (All in Indonesian language)

Opinion Article: Drawing on the above mentioned case of Kartika Puspitasari, an opinion piece by Mariko Hayashi, Co-founder of BEBESEA, “Indonesia must take lead in ending oppression of women migrant workers” (The Jakarta Post) was published on the International Women’s Day. It highlights oppression of women migrant workers rooted in discrimination against workers in the feminised sectors, and Indonesia’s key role in ending it. 

Joint Response to UN Special Rapporteur: BEBESEA successfully submitted a joint-response in collaboration with (including endorsements of) 14 civil society organisations to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Migrants. This is a response to his call for input prior to his forthcoming report to the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council discussing how to expand and diversify regularisation mechanisms and programs to enhance the protection of the human rights of migrants in irregular situations. Full response can be found on our website.

What’s on Our Social Media (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @bebeseaorg):

• Let’s hear from Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a former domestic migrant worker, about her perspective on the women helping women for our post on International Women’s Day.
• Join our campaign, #BeWithMigrants as our initiative in advocating for the rights of migrants and strengthening our call for social justice, equality, and inclusion. Read about how to join here.
• New serieses, BEBESEA Weekly Recap and Meet ESEA Advocacy Groups were launched on our social media platforms to keep you updated with the latest news and feature various organisations in our region. 

News from Our Network

Event: The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) is hosting an event “Ugnayan sa Aichi: Open Forum with the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO)” in Nagoya. In this event Kakehashi will introduce their handbook and video “Bridging the Gap: A Young People’s Guide to Living in Japan”. 

Featured Article: An article “Migrant Care: Raided settlement in Nilai not illegal” (Malaysia Kini) features a statement by Migrant Care on a settlement of migrant workers, which was raided by the Immigration Department.

Documentary: Short film (NFAC) that focuses on “immigrant workers’ empowerment and voice” featuring Sherry Torres Machmod of Serve the People Association (SPA) in Taiwan, highlighting the perspective of new residents and her work at SPA’s migrant worker shelter.  It tells a glimpse of life where new residents of Taiwan help migrant workers fight for their rights, live together and move forward together.

If you have any resources or events you would like BEBESEA to share widely, please do get in touch!