Territory is seen as an inherent aspect of the subjects and vice versa. However, when we talk about a process of mobility, such as international migration, this feeling of belonging becomes discontinuous. In other words, this feeling of belonging is transformed into diverse cultural and territorial social manifestation (Levy and Lussault, 2007, Velasco-Graciet, 2009).

International migration is a fundamental factor of globalisation in today’s world. It is a phenomenon that can play a positive role in promoting development and poverty reduction for both migrants and host communities. Today, every country on the planet participates in the movement of people, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination (UNFPA, 2006).

From a gender perspective, María Noel Vaeza, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, noted: “The drivers of human mobility and forced displacement are defined by pre-existing vulnerabilities, inequalities, and traditional gender roles. In particular, women and girls are affected by limited labour opportunities; by the effects of climate change; by increased exposure to gender-based violence in contexts of organized crime, when this is a tactic for the exercise of territorial control by organized criminal groups; and by the need to protect themselves and their families, exposing women, girls, adolescents and LGBTIQ+ persons to a continuum of violence in communities of origin, transit and destination.”

Migrant women and girls face significant vulnerabilities, including exposure to trafficking, exploitation and gender-based violence. The migration journey exposes them to various risks, making them particularly susceptible to exploitation and abuse. Factors such as their migration status, lack of resources and dependence on strangers for guidance contribute to their increased vulnerability.

Gender has a major impact on the migration experiences of all people of all genders. Gender inequalities contribute to increased risk of human rights violations and reduced socio-economic outcomes, particularly affecting women, girls and gender-diverse people. Addressing gender dynamics and inequalities in policymaking and planning can therefore contribute to social and economic empowerment and promote gender equality.

Overlooking these considerations can expose people of different genders to greater risks and vulnerabilities and perpetuate or exacerbate inequalities.

Recent reports by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) put the total number of international migrants at 281 million. Of this population, 135 million are women and girls in a situation of human mobility, or 3.5% of the world’s female population. This is 5 million more than the figure recorded in 2019 (IOM, 2022).

According to the regional study Integration of migrants: experiences, best practices and challenges, published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in 2023, of the total number of migrants working informally, the majority (60%) are women. In this regard, many women in our region go through their migratory experience from a place that is invisible to the official figures: an irregular status, informal employment, or both.

In the process of human mobility, these population groups are particularly affected by discrimination, abuse and gender-based violence, facing specific difficulties at various stages of the migration process derived from the intersection of gender issues with other variables such as class, race, migration status, nationality, age or sexual orientation (UN, 2019).

In the case of women, recent decades have witnessed a change in international migration patterns. Although the proportion of female migrants has not changed significantly over the last 60 years, an increasing number of women migrants are migrating independently for work, education or as heads of households (IOM, 2021).

According to the report ¿En qué situación están los migrantes en América Latina y el Caribe? Mapeo de la integración socioeconómica en los países de América Latina y el Caribe año 2023[1] (What is the situation of migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean: Mapping socio-economic integration in Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2023), 51% of foreigners of all ages are women. This means that, on average, for every 100 female immigrants there are 96 male immigrants. With a small difference, the share of women in the native population is only slightly higher than that of men (women make up 51 % of the native population). In OECD countries, the share of women in the native population is higher (51%), and women also tend to outnumber men among immigrants (53%). Historically, migration patterns have been determined by the movement of men in search of work, who send remittances to their families, who remain in the country of origin. Recent patterns consist more of family reunification, when women join their partners abroad or entire families migrate because conditions in countries of origin make it less practical to leave some family members behind.

This transformation has been characterised as the “feminisation” of migration, a feature that emphasises the role acquired by women in the processes of human mobility, no longer explained solely under the model of family reunification but as pioneers of the movement (Mallimacci, 2011). Despite the new conditions, migrant women are among the most vulnerable to the violation of their human rights, due to their dual status as migrants and women (UNFPA, 2006).

Migrant girls and adolescents are also more vulnerable to discrimination, mistreatment and double discrimination in the country of destination than young male migrants. Because of their young age, this population requires special protection and care, as outlined in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

Girls and adolescents in a situation of human mobility may face critical situations such as abuse, trafficking and exploitation, especially if they travel alone and through irregular routes, as well as severe difficulties for the effective enjoyment of their fundamental rights, such as the right to identification, food, health and safety.

Gender studies have brought to the field of migration a renewal of analytical categories from which migratory movements and the agents involved in them can be rethought. Historically, migration studies have made women’s migratory trajectories invisible or reduced their participation to the role of companions. This, in turn, has led to their invisibility as migrant subjects and the specific problems that affect them. These include multiple forms of violence, lack of access to rights due to lack of documentation or lack of knowledge of the local language (Garziglia, 2022).

That is why, given the diverse situations faced by migrant women and girls related to, for example, the need to access education services, participate in the labour market and receive health care, among others, and considering that opportunities in these areas are often more limited for women in their countries of origin, they are more likely to be employed in less attractive and lower-paying jobs in their host countries and to lack regular access to health and education services.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is based on the International Human Rights Law. Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Its achievement is the necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care and decent work will result in sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity.

In view of the above, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the National Women’s Institute (INMUJERES) of Mexico are organising the Virtual Workshop: Strategies for the integration of migrant women and girls, to be held on 16 July 2024. This activity will be an opportunity to share best practices implemented in Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as strategies to achieve the objective of promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls in situations of human mobility.

This will be a space for specialists in the field, representatives of Member States and regional and subregional organisations to disseminate the different initiatives that have been implemented in this area, as well as the challenges that remain to be addressed in order to guarantee that migrant women and girls have effective access to the human rights agenda.

[1] https://www.undp.org/es/latin-america/publicaciones/en-que-situacion-estan-los-migrantes-en-america-latina-y-el-caribe

• To learn about successful programmes that have been implemented in the Member States through the intervention of governments, international agencies, civil society and/or private stakeholders for the integration of migrant women and girls.
• To promote initiatives that strengthen the design of migration integration policies based on human rights and gender, aimed at addressing the specific needs of women and girls.
• To exchange information on best practices that have been developed by each of the actors in their national contexts.
• To discuss cooperation actions and common advocacy spaces among the different stakeholders, both at national and regional level.

United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) (2007). UNFPA Annual Report 2006.

Available at: https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/ar2006_spa.pdf

Levy and Lussault, 2007 and Velasco-Graciet, 2009, cited by Miriam Reyes Tovar. In: Geografía y migración. El valor cultural del territorio. Available at: https://www.ugto.mx/investigacionyposgrado/eugreka//contribuciones/399-geografia-y-migracion-el-valor-cultural-del-territorio

World Organisation for Migration (IOM) (2022). World Migration Report 2022. Available at: https://publications.iom.int/books/informe-sobre-las-migraciones-en-el-mundo-2022

Modality: Virtual

Participants: to be defined.

Languages: Spanish and English.

Date: 16 July 2024

Time: 11:00 am, Venezuelan local time