Towards better cities for migrant women

Towards better cities for migrant women - MC2CM and UCLG-CSIPDHR host multistakeholder session on migrant women in cities

MC2CM and UCLG-CSIPDHR host multistakeholder session on migrant women in cities. Around 100 participants took part in the interactive working session “MC2CM Dialogue on Migrant Women in Cities” co-organized by MC2CM and the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights (UCLG-CSIPDHR) last 10th September.

More than 20 cities participated in this collective brainstorming exercise to explore gender-sensitive approaches to local migration governance, together with international organisations, city networks, CSOs, migrant women associations and academia, sharing global and territorial insights into the challenges faced by migrant women and identifying barriers and opportunities for local action.

Following an introductory panel by UCLG, UN Women and New Women Connectors, political representatives from Sousse, São Paulo and Turin shared their experiences in gender-specific issues. Violence and insecurity stood out as some of the most pressing challenges for women throughout all phases of migratory processses, comprising human trafficking and exploitation, domestic violence and insecurity in accessing public space, among others. For local governments,  limited mandates and capacities, as well as lack of dedicated resources, remain strong barriers to address realities on the ground. Cross-cutting approaches, tackling together gender, accessibility, protection and inclusion, were addressed as a cornerstone.

This exploratory conversation was a first step towards strengthening gender-sensitive policy-making and urban planning at the Mediterranean and at global level, in cooperation with States and stakeholders, comprising migrants, civil society, academia and the private sector.