Argentina - The IOM Mission in Argentina and the Department of Social Development of the City of Buenos Aires signed a Cooperation Agreement to protect the human rights of migrant women.

In the past decade, Argentina has seen a marked increase in the number of migrants arriving in the country; the vast majority hail from neighboring countries and countries in the region. The 2010 Census figures show a total migrant population of 1.8 million people.

Argentina has become the main destination for labor migration in South America.  Migrants from the continent accounted for 81.2 per cent of all migrants in 2010 – 550,713 from Paraguay; 345,272 from Bolivia; 191,147 from Chile; and 157,514 from Peru.

“More than 291,000 of these migrants are between 15 and 64 years of age, and therefore active in the labor market. Women are more vulnerable to abuse:  they face discrimination, exploitation, and can become victims of human trafficking.  So now that we’ve signed this important agreement we are ready to begin a joint project aimed at promoting the human rights of migrants from a gender perspective,” said Gabriela Fernandez, IOM Chief of Mission in Argentina.

The project, financed by the IOM Development Fund, will develop a study on the demographics and social characteristics of the migrant population in the Buenos Aires area, and will strengthen the institutional capacity of the Integral Centers for Women (CIM by its Spanish acronym) by training its staff on migration and human rights, with a focus on gender-based violence. 

The project will also implement an information campaign to raise awareness about the human rights of migrants and gender-based violence, and will develop a guide book on human rights and the resources available to migrants.

For more information, please contact

Mariana Beheran
IOM Buenos Aires
Tel: +54 11 4811-9148 – Ext. 218
Email: mbeheran@iom.int