Gender Perspective in Providing Social Services to Migrants: Identification of Main Limitations and Guidelines for Improvement
Migrant women, rather than men, are much more likely to see their human rights trampled upon, which is primarily due to the overall issue of gender inequalities. In fact, migrant women are more exposed to the risks of sexual and gender-based violence at all stages of their migration experience, or to trafficking in human beings. As a result, part of them find themselves dealing with unwanted pregnancies and do not know where to turn for support one reached the destination (especially if they do not know the language of the host country).
At the same time, the condition experienced by many migrant women in emigration can be illustrated as a form of double isolation and marginalisation: they are commonly involved in the networks that the respective male migrants belong to in their native countries and communities; besides, due to intra-group hierarchies, migrant women are frequently unable to build new social relationships and networks in the new settlement.
As for their participation in the labour market, part of migrant women is induced to find employment in stereotypical working contexts, such as domestic care, often accompanied by forms of exploitation, underpayment, and social invisibility.
In order to create a social protection system for migrant women, governments ought to assume a multi-faceted and gender-sensitive approach while formulating laws, policies and regulations, and delivering relevant social services. In the European context, policies aimed at integration of migrant women in host countries and protection of their human rights have been developed so far: for aforesaid reasons, these measures mostly support migrant women in accessing their rights to healthcare and labour integration.
Critical gaps can be identified in terms of implementation models that would fully support a woman's migration project and inclusion process, especially in a long term. These models usually comprise a variety of actions during initial phases of a migrant woman’s adaptation, implemented from an emergency point of view; instead, the situation becomes more complex later on, subsequently to the adaptation stage, that is when a migrant woman starts facing a series of unprecedented situations on her path to integration.
The following are some general recommendations aimed at strengthening policies that should empower and support migrant women with regard to their human rights and gender equality:
- Develop a gender-sensitive, human rights-based migration policy that overtake the stereotype of migrant women as passive victims and recognises them as active participants in migration processes
- Build the capacity of policymakers and decision-making bodies to ensure that they promote and protect the rights of migrant women as key actors in political and economic development
- Ensure that migrant women enjoy equal access to social, cultural, economic, civil and political rights as citizens under international human rights laws (in the field of education, employment, training, housing, healthcare, etc.)
- Ensure that migrant women can acquire, change, retain and confer their nationality according to relevant international human rights laws
Provide individual identity documentation for all migrant women and girls so as to ensure their access to necessary services in accordance with their rights.
Online Resources
González Gago E., 2020, Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality 2016–2019, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers & Unit D.2 Gender Equality, European Commission, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
(https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/aid_development_cooperation_fundamental_rights/strategic_engagement_2016-2019_evaluation.pdf)
While addressing Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality 2016-2019, the publication focuses the analysis on single Thematic areas and evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of the SEGE framework.
UN Women, 2015, Women Migrant Workers' Human Rights, Series: TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD, UN Mujeres: Mexico office.
(https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2016/women-migrant-workers-human-rights.pdf)
While addressing the Human rights that should be guaranteed to women migrant workers, this document pays attention to links between gender and migration, and barriers that migrant women face in destination countries; it also brings some recommendations.
UN Women, 2017, Recommendations for addressing women’s human rights in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, Outcome of expert meeting in Geneva, November 2016.
(https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2017/Addressing-womens-human-rights-migration-en.pdf)
This document provides recommendations that underline the need for a human rights-based and gender-responsive approach to migration governance and give clear direction on the full inclusion of women’s rights in the formulation and implementation of the global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration.