Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre is internationally recognised for its work with women.

Credits: Caritas/Snyder

Migration has always been part of human history. However, a phenomenon that has increased over the last three or four decades is that of one family member leaving the country in search of employment, either temporarily or with the intention of reuniting with their family in the new country at a later date.

The most common employment opportunities for women are in areas where just treatment must be assured for them out of respect for their gender and in recognition of their equal rights.

The gender pattern of current migration varies from country to country depending on the level of development in the country being left behind.

There is a growing number of women migrants who end up in domestic work, caring for the sick and elderly, and working in hotel and other service sectors – sectors that are increasingly being de-regularized, which makes employees even more vulnerable.

For a long time, the issue of women migrants has been low on the international policy agenda. In 2006, the United Nations system focused on the feminization of migration, dedicating its State of World Population report to women and international migration. It also organized a high level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, offering a crucial opportunity for the voices of migrant women to be heard.

Whether migrants are women or men, there are gender-related effects in both the departing and receiving countries that are relevant to the work of Caritas:

• In general, migrating and migrant women or female relatives of migrant men are more vulnerable than their male counterparts.
• Larger-scale gendered migration has a significant impact on family patterns and thus society at large in the departing country.
• The close link between culture and gender roles affects the integration of migrants in a new country; the greater the cultural differences, the greater the gender differences.