The Unheard Workforce
The Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) is launching its latest report: “The Unheard Workforce: Experiences of Latin American migrant women in cleaning, hospitality and domestic work”
On the 17th July 2019, LAWRS launched the research “The Unheard Workforce: Experiences of Latin American migrant women in cleaning, hospitality and domestic work”. Funded by Trust for London
The research draws on 326 cases of women supported at the Employment Rights Advice Service of the organisation. It presents an array of deeply concerning labour rights violations experienced by Latin American migrant women employed in three key feminised sectors of London’s manual labour: cleaning, hospitality, and domestic work.
Among the key results arising from these cases, we found that:
- Over half of the workers faced breaches to their contracts (62%). Unlawful deduction of wages was the most common type of abuse (151 cases, 46%).
- 1 in 5 (20%) experienced illegal underpayment of the National Minimum Wage.
- 17% were unlawfully denied the annual leave they were entitled to, and 16% were not paid accrued in lieu annual leave once they left the company.
- Health and safety issues were present in 25% of the cases – predominantly injury due to the nature of the work (33%), limited or no protective equipment (17%), and lack of training (12%).
- Over two in five (41%) of women in the sample have experienced discrimination, harassment or unreasonable treatment.
- 66% experienced bullying or unreasonable treatment as regular occurrences.
- A large proportion endured verbal and/or faced physical abuse, 37% and 11% respectively.
- 16% of the women endured a total of 13 different types of sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.
- Abuse on the grounds of maternity was experienced by 9% of women. This includes failure to pay for hours spent at prenatal appointments and denial of risk assessments during pregnancy.
- 11 cases of potential trafficking for labour exploitation were identified: 7 were cleaners or hospitality workers and 4 were domestic workers.
“We are not machines or numbers. We are human beings who want to work and to be treated with dignity and respect. We want nothing more and nothing less.”
Watch the full short documentary below:
“Undocumented Latin American migrant woman’s experiences of labour abuse in London”
This documentary was made with the support of Media Trust by the filmmaker Andrew Contreras
LAWRS 35th Anniversary report is out!
35 year ago, we started our work in a time where domestic violence was only physical abuse and we increased our services accordingly to the development of policies and legislation through the years. We are proud to follow the steps of amazing Latin American women who came before us and we hope to do our part for the ones to come. As a specialist service, we will continue providing survival, security, safety, and well-being and also advocating and campaigning for human rights and social justice for migrant women and migrant women workers in the UK.
During the last year 2017-2018, our main achievements were:
- 1,890 hours of comprehensive wellbeing support offered
- 1,691 advice and information sessions
- 339 survivors of violence supported to find safety
- 285 school students better able to lead healthy relationships
- 266 women joined in our integration programme
- 515 women supported in Southwark
- 124 women supported in Haringey
- 93% improved their knowledge about rights
- 85% improved their wellbeing
- 40% of our drop-in service users accessed more than 1 service in a single visit
- 70% found LAWRS through word of mouth
- Evidenced-based campaigning work to tackle violence against women and girls, labour exploitation and reduce the impact of Brexit
Read more here: LAWRS 35th Anniversary Annual Report
Voices of Resilience: short documentary
Migrant and refugee women face multiple barriers when arriving in the EU and the current political anti-migrant climate has made their situations direr. Experiences of gender-based abuse, exploitation at work and isolation have been exacerbated by the progressive erosion of migrant and women’s rights.
On International Migrant Day 2018, LAWRS launches the short documentary titled: “Voices of resilience: Migrant and Refugee women in Europe” which highlights the experiences of migrant women in the UK, Spain, Poland and Italy and sharing their experiences and calls for change.
The short documentary was made as part of the Women, Empowerment, Integration and Participation project (WEIP) run by LAWRS (UK), Differenza Donna (Italy), KARAT Coalition (Poland) and Red Acoge (Spain) and brought the voices and experiences of migrant and refugee women to the forefront. The documentary was first screened in November at the WEIP’s international conference in London, where more than 20 migrant and women organisations in Europe highlighted the role of migrant women’s lived experiences and provided recommendations to uphold their right to integrate and to live free of violence and discrimination.
Sophia Gomez Pelaez, a migrant woman in Spain, interviewed in the short documentary states:
“We come looking for other opportunities, especially as women as we are searching to cover family needs. However, it is difficult to find shelter as we often face rejection”
Moreover, Cathrine Nsamba, a migrant woman in Italy also interviewed (and photographed above) recommends:
“I was supported by the organisation to learn more and to understand more […]and my advice for women like me are to go inside leadership and campaign for these leaderships”
Finally, Alma Gatica, the WEIP Coordinator at the Latin American Women’s Rights Service stresses the importance of a migrant and gender perspective in our work.
“We, migrant women, have to get access to decision-making spaces where policies are discussed so we can fully participate in the host country: socially, politically and economically. We are the leaders of our own empowerment journey, both as migrants and as women”
Watch the full short documentary:
Co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund of the European Commission
We can’t fight in the dark: Brazilian women facing violence
A research by the King’s College in partnership with LAWRS found out that VAWG among Brazilian women in London is “alarmingly widespread”, with 4 in every 5 Brazilian women in London have experienced some kind of violence.
The study, published in March 2018, shed a light on cases of violence suffered by Brazilian women in London, provided data and offered policy recommendations to tackle the issue. According to the study emotional/psychological violence was the commonest type of violence experienced in London (48%), followed by physical violence (38%), with 14% experiencing sexual violence.
The study also found that cases of VAWG are intersectional as women of mixed race were more likely to experience violence (63%) than white women (44%). Insecure immigration status prevented women from coming forward and reporting the cases of violence to the police. Apart from highlighting the need for the Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) Bill to set standards for the protection of migrant victims’, some of the proposed solutions to prevent VAWG cases with Brazilian women are extending ‘recourse to public funds’ to domestic violence victims, specialist training for agency officers; and increased collaboration between support organisations and government authorities. The study reinforces the need for safe reporting mechanisms to be implemented as we campaign in Step Up Migrant Women.
Relaunch of Sin fronteras: Empowering young women from Latin America
We are thrilled to announce the return of Sin Fronteras! Launched in June 2015, Sin Fronteras (No Limits) focuses on empowering young Latin American women and girls. Sin Fronteras provides them with a safe space to develop their full potential and lead on actions for social change through the use of arts. During the first two and a half years of the project, LAWRS offered different workshops and activities to more than 100 Latin American young women and girls. Through art, dance and music the young women and girls were able to identify themselves as agents that can generate a social change in our communities.
“We want to set an example, leave a footprint and speak up for Latin American people and for people from all over the world whose voices are silenced or to whom language is a barrier,” said the manifest written by members of the group.
They advocated for the recognition of young migrant women’s rights by calling for a recognition of rights through photography exhibitions, by demonstrating against detention at Yarl’s Wood, and by joining the campaign Against Border for Children (ABC). Here is Sin Fronteras standing up for the the right to education free from racism and state surveillance.
LAWRS is thrilled to relaunch Sin Fronteras in November 2018. We will run a 3-month creative leadership programme with the support of the University of London, a 1-year programme to access free university lectures thanks to King’s College London, and a 3-year programme of arts, development and social change funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Stay tuned to get more news about the awesome things this group of young leaders will be doing in the coming months.
Step Up Migrant Women: Mayor of London calls for safe reporting for migrant victims
Prompted by our Step Up Migrant Women UK coalition, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged the Home Office to protect domestic abuse victims who are vulnerable due to hostile environment policies. Migrant women with undocumented status are denied access to support and remain trapped in abusive relationships.
LAWRS worked with the Mayor’s office in drafting his letter to the Home Secretary, with measures and guidelines to ensure victims have access to justice and support services.
The Mayor’s demands were backed by Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman, who has been hosting a series of roundtables on the issue, and MP Jess Phillips.
“Both the mayor and I are clear that all victims of abuse must have full confidence to report crime and their abusers to ensure justice is done, no matter what their status might be,” said Claire Waxman
The current lack of safe-reporting mechanisms creates a barrier for migrant women to flee violence and gives greater impunity to perpetrators. An Imkaan study has shown that 92% of women with insecure status have received threats of deportation from perpetrators.
LAWRS’ Director, Lucila Granada, commented:
“The hostile environment policies have led to this extremely dangerous situation where many victims of severe crimes are too afraid to go to the police. Their perpetrator is dangerous, but the police can be even more dangerous to them. Perpetrators are hiding behind these policies and using them to abuse their victims.”
Step Up Migrant Women is a campaign led by LAWRS and supported by over 30 women’s and migrants’ rights organisations. We campaign for the implementation of safe-reporting mechanisms and the end of data-sharing policies when victims approach the police.
Photo by Angeles Rodenas
Research: Minorities face Barriers to Islington Health
LAWRS Development and Outreach Coordinator Nahir de la Silva explains how LAWRS and the consortium Diverse Communities Health Voice found that Latin American women in Islington need better quality and gender-specific interpretation services to access healthcare.
Diverse Communities Health Voice, a consortium of ten Islington-based organisations*, has published its findings on research into how ethnic minorities are accessing the NHS: Community research 2016-2017 Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington.
As a consortium member, LAWRS interviewed 22 Latin American women* within our organisation, with research broken down into five different areas: pharmacies, wellbeing, accident & emergency, interpreting services, and referrals to specialist services.
We offer services including linguistically-specific counselling and yoga to help our community keep healthy.
Our interviews found that women experienced their first barrier when trying to make appointments. Reception staff did not provide appointments due to a lack of language understanding of our service users. We also heard of cases in which staff members would not offer interpreting services, despite the knowing that our users were not comfortable only using English.
This interview-based research has helped LAWRS identify different issues faced by our service users while trying to access the NHS. It is also helping us work with the community and local government to tackle these problems.
At LAWRS we wrote letters addressed to administrative staff from GP clinics asking for appointments and interpreters. We managed to get some much-needed appointments. LAWRS also provided information on services on offer in pharmacies, as well as free sports and wellbeing activities, dentist services, walk-in-centres, and complaint procedures.
Our research has also helped us conclude that language interpreting services need to be improved in Islington, as well as become more culturally and gender secure. We would also appreciate reception staff receiving appropriate Equality and Diversity training.
The final report makes the following recommendations
• To extend GP hours in order to make it possible for people working in different jobs to get appointments
• To promote information about the services available
• To translate this information into key languages to increase uptake
Read the full report here.[:es]
LAWRS Development and Outreach Coordinator Nahir de la Silva explains how the consortium Diverse Communities Health Voice also indicates that Latin American women in Islington need better quality and gender-specific interpretation services to access healthcare.
Diverse Communities Health Voice, a consortium of ten Islington-based organisations*, has published its findings on research into how ethnic minorities are accessing the NHS: Community research 2016-2017 Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington.
As a consortium member, LAWRS interviewed 22 Latin American women* within our organisation, with research broken down into five different areas: pharmacies, wellbeing, accident & emergency, interpreting services, and referrals to specialist services.
Our interviews found that women experienced their first barrier when trying to make appointments. Reception staff did not provide appointments due to a lack of language understanding of our service users. We also heard of cases in which staff members would not offer interpreting services, despite the knowing that our users were not comfortable only using English.
This interview-based research has helped LAWRS identify different issues faced by our service users while trying to access the NHS. It is also helping us work with the community and local government to tackle these problems.
At LAWRS we wrote letters addressed to administrative staff from GP clinics asking for appointments and interpreters. We managed to get some much-needed appointments. LAWRS also provided information on services on offer in pharmacies, as well as free sports and wellbeing activities, dentist services, walk-in-centres, and complaint procedures.
Our research has also helped us conclude that language interpreting services need to be improved in Islington, as well as become more culturally and gender secure. We would also appreciate reception staff receiving appropriate Equality and Diversity training.
The final report makes the following recommendations
• To extend GP hours in order to make it possible for people working in different jobs to get appointments
• To promote information about the services available
• To translate this information into key languages to increase uptake
Read the full report here.[:pt]LAWRS Development and Outreach Coordinator Nahir de la Silva explains how the consortium Diverse Communities Health Voice also indicates that Latin American women in Islington need better quality and gender-specific interpretation services to access healthcare.
Diverse Communities Health Voice, a consortium of ten Islington-based organisations*, has published its findings on research into how ethnic minorities are accessing the NHS: Community research 2016-2017 Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington.
As a consortium member, LAWRS interviewed 22 Latin American women* within our organisation, with research broken down into five different areas: pharmacies, wellbeing, accident & emergency, interpreting services, and referrals to specialist services.
Our interviews found that women experienced their first barrier when trying to make appointments. Reception staff did not provide appointments due to a lack of language understanding of our service users. We also heard of cases in which staff members would not offer interpreting services, despite the knowing that our users were not comfortable only using English.
This interview-based research has helped LAWRS identify different issues faced by our service users while trying to access the NHS. It is also helping us work with the community and local government to tackle these problems.
At LAWRS we wrote letters addressed to administrative staff from GP clinics asking for appointments and interpreters. We managed to get some much-needed appointments. LAWRS also provided information on services on offer in pharmacies, as well as free sports and wellbeing activities, dentist services, walk-in-centres, and complaint procedures.
Our research has also helped us conclude that language interpreting services need to be improved in Islington, as well as become more culturally and gender secure. We would also appreciate reception staff receiving appropriate Equality and Diversity training.
The final report makes the following recommendations
• To extend GP hours in order to make it possible for people working in different jobs to get appointments
• To promote information about the services available
• To translate this information into key languages to increase uptake
Read the full report here.
*Overall, 207 people were interviewed, across all participant organisations in the consortium. LAWRS has now been a consortium member for two years.
*The ten Islington-based organisations work to listen to and represent members of society that are not being heard by mainstream agencies.
Love Does Not kill, Violence Does
O amor não mata, a violência sim foi nossa campanha de zero tolerância à violência contra as mulheres e meninas e que teve como objetivo a conscientização sobre a violência que afeta as mulheres latino-americanas e outras mulheres migrantes no Reino Unido.
Essa campanha destaca a importância de reconhecer a comunidade latino-americana como uma minoría étnica para que as mulheres da nossa comunidade possam acessar serviços que respondam de maneira efetiva às suas necessidades específicas.
Nós pedimos ao governo central e às autoridades locais para que:
- Providenciem serviços adequados e específicos que atendam às necessidades das mulheres migrantes sobreviventes de violência e abuso.
- Reconheçam oficialmente os/as latino-americanos/as como minoria étnica.
- Garantam financiamento para organizações comunitárias especializadas que respondam às necessidades de mulheres migrantes e outras minorias sobreviventes de violência e abuso.
Essa campanha foi lançada com a projeção do nosso curta-metragem “Mulheres invisíveis”, com uma audiência de mais de 130 líderes e ativistas da comunidade latino-americana. “Mulheres invisíveis” é baseado nas experiências de 3 de nossas usuárias. Suas histórias refletem as situações de abuso, exploração e pobreza que muitas mulheres latino-americanas que vivem no Reino Unido enfrentam.
Produzido por Literally Films e Media Trust, você pode assistí-lo aqui:
A projeção foi seguida por uma mesa redonda com a participação de um Membro do Parlamento do Partido Trabalhista, Stella Creasy, integrantedo gabinete paralelo Prevenção de Crime e defensora da campanha One Billion Rising, Katharine Round, diretora da agência Literally Films e diretora do curta-metragem “Mulheres invisíveis”; e Carolina Gottardo, diretora do LAWRS naquela ocasião. O debate foi presidido pela Professora Maxine Molyneux, diretora do Instituto das Américas, University College London.
Nossos pôsteres contra a violência em espanhol e português, foram exibidos em organizações, lojas, igrejas e outros espaços comunitários. Continuamos com nosso trabalho para exigir o reconhecimento oficial e o financiamento adequado para os serviços de apoio, mas as mulheres latino-americanas precisam do seu apoio na luta por igualdade.
Reconhecimento de latino-americanos/as no Reino Unido
Lutamos pelo o pleno reconhecimento da comunidade latino-americana como grupo étnico no Reino Unido. Essa campanha tem como objetivo melhorar a visibilidade dos/as latino-americanos/as para melhorar o acesso da comunidade aos serviços e à participação política.
Pedimos ao governo central e às autoridades locais que:
- Introduzam a categoria “latino-americano/a” no monitoramento étnico.
- Incluam os/as latino-americanos/as no planejamento estratégico e na prestação de serviços.
- Trabalhem mais próximo da comunidade e organizações a fim de oferecer projetos linguística e culturalmente relevantes que alcancem aos/às latino-americanos/as.
2014
Latino-americanos/as são reconhecidos pelas autoridades locais de Islington e Hackney.
2013
A autoridade local de Lambeth reconheceu oficialmente os/as latino-americanos/as.
Criamos uma coalização de organizações latino-americanas do setor voluntário no Reino Unido (CLAUK), fundada por 7 membros e organizada pelo LAWRS. Através da CLAUK, que atualmente é composta por 14 organizações latino-americanas, realizamos um trabalho de militância e campanhas para obter o reconhecimento a nível local e nacional, e melhorar o acesso da comunidade aos direitos trabalhistas e serviços de saúde.
2012
Depois de uma intensa campanha dirigida pelo LAWRS e outros grupos comunitários locais, que envolveu uma delegação presente na assembleia da autoridade local de Southwark, essa autoridade local deu um passo pioneiro no reconhecimento oficial de latino-americanos/as como um grupo étnico.
2011
LAWRS e Trust for London encomendaram a publicação do relatório No Longer Invisible, a pesquisa mais abrangente sobre a comunidade latino-americana em Londres.
Migrants Contribute
Os Migrantes Contribuem foi uma campanha composta por 16 coalizões e organizações que representam mais de 60 grupos de migrantes e refugiados em todo o país. Migrantes Contribuem buscou fomentar um debate mais justo sobre a migração durante o período de eleições gerais de 2015 ao transmitir imagens mais verdadeiras de migrantes e combater a demonização crescente das nossas comunidades por veículos de comunicação e discursos políticos.
O LAWRS coordenou Migrantes Contribuem, o qual obteve uma forte presença nas redes sociais, na mídia e em eventos comunitários. As atividades da campanha incluíram:
- Desafiar os líderes políticos e partidos que deliberadamente se aproveitam do medo e da ansiedade das pessoas em um contexto de recessão e austeridade para atribuir culpa aos ‘estrangeiros’ pelos problemas.
- Conseguir que a mídia apresente a vida real dos/as migrantes e a nossa contribuição real.
- Construir uma rede de organizações que façam parte ou apoiem Migrantes Contribuem liderada por um grupo de direção (Steering Group).
- Capacitar os agentes de mudança para que possam desafiar suas próprias narrativas negativas.
- Mobilizar as comunidades de migrantes para aumentar a participação cívica e fomentar a participação ativa no debate sobre imigração.
- Sensibilizar o público em geral sobre as muitas formas de contribuição dos migrantes para o Reino Unido e a importância de manter um debate justo.
