Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - The Health Workers Union HSWU) of the Trade Union Congress and the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) has called on government to adopt a policy that would be gender sensitive. A statement issued in Accra on Saturday by Mr Reynolds Tenkorang, Deputy General Secretary of HSWU on behalf of the two unions said there should be a human rights approach for the protection of the rights of migrants, particularly women and children. The call was made to mark the 20th anniversary of the international Migrants Day being observed globally. It observed that the absent of a policy to protect the rights of migrants was making it more difficult to organise them at their places of origin and destination countries.

The statement noted that despite the huge contributions that migrant workers bring to their host and home countries in terms of services, taxes, remittance, many countries were still far from fulfilling their obligation to protect their rights. It said the shortage of workforce in the health sector would significantly increase in the next 10-20 years as the population in industrialised countries were rapidly aging. The statement added that despite the economic crisis that affected almost every sector the demand of workers in the social sector remained high. It said industrialised countries were now looking to international migration to address their peculiar workforce vacancies, which have reached millions.

Quoting the United Nations, it said: "There were around 215 million people globally today who live and work outside their countries of birth. Around half of these international migrants are women working to support their families and communities back home." The statement urged government and non-governmental organisations in the country to collaborate with the HSWU and GRNA to observe this years' International Migration Day through dissemination of information on human and fundamental freedoms of migrants as well as sharing experiences to ensure their protection. 18 Dec. 10

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