215 Million Reasons Why ... The Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families

Campaign for Australian Ratification of the Migrant Workers Convention

The Network of Immigrant and Refugee Women Australia Inc. (NIRWA) is  working to ratify The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families also referred to as the UN Migrant Workers Convention, to support 215 million migrant workers’ rights and their families.  (2009 United Nations International Migration Report) .

NIRWA  is organising events throughout the country, using the humble postcard, to send a message to the Prime Minister to support ‘215 Million Reasons... The Rights of Migrant Workers & their Families’.

The national launch will be in New South Wales on Sunday 17 June 2012 from 10.30am–11.30am at Bankstown Roundhouse jointly organised by Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association and Asian Women At Work, inviting families to come  to enjoy face-painting and balloon sculpturing for the kids, and lunch for the adults.

To add to the momentum, each NIRWA State member organisation will organise launches of the Postcard as part of the campaign. NIRWA is also producing an animation about the UN Migrant Workers Rights Convention, to be featured on the website after the national launch – so watch that space.

NIRWA is asking the Australian public to sign the postcard and share their voice, or just provide a name and signature, to support the ‘215 Million Reasons … The Rights of Migrant Workers & their Families’.

NIRWA is reinforcing the 215 million reasons to support the rights of Migrant Workers and their families, as each and every migrants’ rights deserves to be acknowledged as human rights.

On October 1 2011, a coalition of civil society groups (including NIRWA and The Human Rights Council of Australia) and global groups launched a renewed call for Australia to ratify the International Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of  their Families ("the Migrant Workers Convention").

“It is important for our Australian community to recognise that migrant workers are recognised as the most vulnerable category of workers throughout the world. The postcard campaign is a way we can have people talking about and supporting the Migrant Workers Convention,” says Vivi Germanos-Koutsounadis, Chair of NIRWA. [END]

For media enquiries: Vivi Germanos-Koutsounadis 02 9569 1288 and Jackie Leewai, Media Officer at 0408 462 756.  Also visit NIRWA on Facebook, Twitter, Website and our Blog.

The Network of Immigrant and Refugee Women of Australia Inc. (NIRWA) is an independent body that seeks to advocate for immigrant and refugee women at the national level by working to achieve cultural, social, economic, education and gender equality for immigrant and refugee women living in Australia.