it has great potential and can advance gender equality by empowering migrant women since many migrate independently nowadays and become the main breadwinners for their families however migration can also increase vulnerabilities and put migrant women at risk of discrimination and violence women and children who migrate also become more vulnerable to other forms of exploitation those in an irregular situation are particularly vulnerable the special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants noted in his report to the human rights council ahrc that migrant women who are detained may be vulnerable to sexual violence committed by male detainees or guards the special rapporteur encouraged states to give particular attention to the situation of migrant women in detention