They are placed in vulnerable situations with no legal recourse. Half of the 1.2 million are illegal Burmese migrant women workers, who not only have to face discrimination as illegal migrant workers but also as women. They face discrimination not only from the host community but also from their own community. Because of the social structure of these societies, all men have more power than women. They have faced violence at home and they face violence in Thailand.
Migrant women are subject to both domestic and public violence and labor market exploitation.
Few survivors of such abuses are willing to come forward to press charges against the offenders as most do not have knowledge of their rights. Plus there is lack of support services such as counseling to deal with post-trauma for the survivors and their family members. There have been several cases of women being abused by Thai officials and not getting a proper response from the Thai authorities partly due to women s lack of legal assistance and paralegal training. As women s groups in the refugee camps take up this issue, more and more women are coming forward to tell their stories. Through networking, women themselves have identified the need for legal assistance with regard to resolving such widespread worker abuse, and holding accountable those found guilty of such violence.