7 November 1991 Doc. 6528

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on the situation of migrant women in Europe

presented by Mrs PERSSON and others

1. Migrant women, representing close to half the overall population of migrants and ethnic communities of immigrant origin in Europe, are often among the most disadvantaged groups of the society they live in.

2. Discriminated against both because of their foreign origin and their sex, migrant women face more difficulties in gaining access to education, professional training and employment than their male counterparts and European women.

3. The majority of these women come to the immigration countries as spouses and, very often, their status is dependent on that of their husbands. Sometimes, in the case of divorce from or death of their husbands, migrant women are left in a precarious legal situation.

4. Confronted with difficulties in obtaining work permits, numerous migrant women are obliged to accept illegal employment, and are thus without adequate social protection and fair remuneration.

5. Jobs offered to migrant women are disproportionally concentrated in those sectors of the labour market which are among the least attractive.

6. The Assembly accordingly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i. consider measures to eliminate discrimination against migrant women in member states;

ii. take steps designed to ensure that migrant women have full access to existing possibilities for education, professional training and employment;

iii. invite the governments of member states to support and promote initiatives and activities aimed at facilitating the social and economic emancipation of migrant women and their integration in the host society.

Signed:PERSSON, SKAUG, MACKIE OF BENSHIE, MOTA TORRES, GASSNER,

BAARVELD-SCHLAMAN, HACKLIN, PAHTAS, BÖHM, GUIRADO.