Activists from South and Southeast Asia and international agencies have raised deep concerns over rampant violence against women migrant workers in Malaysia and the Gulf countries, with a joint call on sending and receiving countries to settle the issue through dialogue.

In a regional consultation meeting jointly organized by the Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobilty (CARAM) and UN Trust Funds on Thursday, it was stressed that all people had their universal rights to move to and stay in countries where they had found employment.

“Women migrant workers do not beg but work to earn a living, support their families and benefit their employers. Therefore, they must be free to get decent work and pay, to express their opinion and be free from torture, rape, slavery and other forms of exploitation,” said director of CARAM Asia Muhammad Harun-or-Rashid in his opening speech to the meeting.