Migration

Migration

Recent figures from the International Office of Migration (IOM) estimate there to be 271.6 million international migrants worldwide (2020).

History spotlights centuries of human mobility. Migrations, both voluntary and forced, have substantially determined the shape of the contemporary world, part of a much broader process of global development and social change. The opening of borders to trade, capital and investment, and the development of new infrastructure and innovation, has increased and broadened possibilities encouraging the establishment of a more interconnected world.

Often termed the defining human rights challenge of our time, it is understood that a person’s gender shapes each stage of the migration process.

Where We Stand

“Women and girls are forced to migrate for the same reasons that men and boys do – poverty, economic inequalities, oppression, conflict, war, disasters and the impact of climate change. However, women and girls face additional factors compelling them to leave their homes, and they face additional challenges along migration routes.”

Women and Migration on the Road to Equality

Migration has become a compelling issue of our times. Women and girls are forced to migrate for the same reasons that men and boys do – poverty, economic inequalities, oppression, conflict, war, disasters and the impact of climate change. However, women and girls face additional factors compelling them to leave their homes, and they face additional challenges along migration routes.

To address the gender inequalities faced by women and girls who are forced to migrate, it is imperative that Soroptimists incorporate the issue as a part of their activities. Women and girls are almost always disproportionately affected by migration which may forcefully occur owing to natural disasters or conflicts. This in turn affects their other economic, social and cultural rights, creating a vicious circle of inequalities. It is important to address the vulnerabilities of migrant women and girls, so that they are able to lead sustainable lives. By eliminating the policies and practices that force certain sections of a population to migrate, we will be able to resolve and/or break the vicious circle, and give women and girls the security of home and provide them with empowering and enabling opportunities.

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