The UNFPA State of World Population 2006 report, A Passage to Hope: Women and International Migration, seeks to address the needs and contributions of migrant women.

Migrant women are domestic workers, cleaners, caregivers, farmers, and professionals; the list is endless, but only recently have policymakers acknowledged the challenges and risks they face.

Trafficking

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 2.45 million trafficking victims working in exploitative conditions. Other estimates put 80% of the 600,000 to 800,000 people who are trafficked across borders each year as women and girls, making human trafficking the third-most lucrative illegal trade after drugs and arms.

Criminal gangs, corrupt officials, and even friends and relatives conspire to traffic women, and the USA, Germany and Japan are major destinations where the women are taken.

Trafficked women are usually forced into prostitution, or other 'female' occupations such as domestic work and sweatshop labor.

Domestic workers

While domestic work has provided great opportunities for migrant women, it is also an area where there is little regulation. Female domestic workers have suffered all forms of abuse and exploitation, have few rights, and abusive employers are rarely prosecuted.

Women's health, especially reproductive health, greatly suffers when a woman is either trafficked or exploited.

In addition to those who are trafficked, irregular or undocumented migrants often take low-paying and hazardous work; and again women are most at risk.

Financial contribution

It is estimated that there are some 95 million migrant women, who contribute to the US$232 billion formally remitted to their country of origin, with US$167 of this going to developing countries. These remittances are considerable larger than ODA and are the second-largest source of external funding after direct foreign investment, and do not take into account transfer through non-formal channels.

While men remit more money to their home countries, women send back a greater proportion of their income, yet their working conditions are often poor.

Brain drain

Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from the highest infectious disease burden in the world of 25%, but it can only retain 1.3% of the world's healthcare practitioners as qualified persons seek better opportunities in developed countries. This is especially true in areas hardest hit by HIV/AIDS; however, this is where skilled women health workers are needed the most.
Health care is one of the few professions that offers migrant women employment at a decent wage in the formal sector. Until other professions can be made more accessible, this situation will continue.

Displacement

In 2005, roughly half of the world's 12.7 million refugees were women, yet among asylum seekers women are underrepresented as gender-related claims of persecution are often ignored. Inadequate asylum policies make women even more vulnerable as they go 'underground' to try to stay in a specific country.
During armed conflict, women and girls are the target of rape, and have to deal with unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and reproductive illness and injury.
While women may have better access to reproductive health care in refugee camps, they are not involved in camp planning, peace building and resettlement.

The young

Young people aged between 10 and 24 account for around one-third of all international migrants. Young people send money back home, and bring skills and experience when they return.
However, young migrants, especially girls, are those most at risk, but there is very little data available on which to base protective actions.
This year's State of World Population introduces a special supplement Moving Young that focuses on the experience of young migrants.

Human rights

The report emphasizes migrants have human rights, and that gender equality and poverty reduction will go a long way to making migration more orderly.
Therefore, the voices of women and youth must be listened to, and leadership is needed to promote recognition of our common humanity.