Political dialogue Series: Understanding the gender dimensions of migration

According to the IOM, in 2020 female migrants accounted for 48.1% (135 million) of total international migrants globally. Women also face more risk in countries of origin, transit and destination regardless of their mode of migration (regular or irregular) at the hands of government authorities and employers as well as traffickers and smugglers in the case of irregular migration. Against this background, FES-FMCC in collaboration with Setaweet organized a policy dialogue forum aimed at understanding the gender dimensions of migration so as to promote the inclusion of gender perspectives into current and future migration policies frameworks at national, sub-regional, regional and international levels. Three presentations focused on the continental and sub-regional frameworks related to migration and gender; the role of women in migration and the challenges they face due to their distinct characteristics; and how Ethiopian women migrant workers in the Gulf States cope with the challenges of being migrant workers through formal and informal community networks. The inputs guided the discussion at this dialogue forum which raised numerous pivotal issues on the topic.

The Migration Policy Framework for Migration in Africa (MPFA) recognizes the correlation between migration and gender including it in one of the eleven cross cutting areas necessary to work on so as to manage migration at a continental level. The MPFA strongly recognizes the developmental and gender empowerment benefits of migration for women on the continent while at the same time noting that much research has not been conducted on the gender aspect of migration on the continent. Furthermore, the MPFA calls for more analysis into the correlation between the two topics so as to inform migration policies and increase the gender sensitivity of any legal, policy or institutional efforts to manage migration on the continent.

During the event, presenters and participants alike emphasized the necessity of understanding the relevance of gender sensitive migration policies due to the increasing role of women in migration as well as the unique challenges women face due to their gender. Migration was recognized as a gender positive phenomenon that can result in empowering women if well managed. Participants called for more research to be conducted into the correlation of migration and gender as well as noting the importance of working with formal and informal networks of migrant Ethiopian women, especially in the Gulf States. By supporting organizations such as Setaweet, FES-FMCC will continue contributing gender sensitive perspectives to continental and sub-regional migration policy debates.