Addressing the situations of women migrating from, into and through Niger in times of Covid-19 and beyond.
Joint op-ed by UN Women and IOMDate:
Globally, women and girls comprise roughly half of the world’s 272 million migrants.[1] In Niger, women and girls make up the majority of all international migrants representing 53.5 per cent of the international migration stock.[2] Nigerien women and girls also migrate to other West Africa countries that are part of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol as well as to countries further afield.
Addressing the gender dimensions of migration is critical to ensure that migration is safe for all migrant women and girls. Too often, migrant women and girls experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination not only because of their gender and migration status, but also due to interconnected characteristics such as age, race and ethnicity.[3]
Nigerien migrant women may also face specific challenges on their return as a result of gender-discriminatory practices within communities. For instance, some returned migrant women from Niger who have become pregnant during their migration journey as a result of rape have reported that they were being discriminated against and stigmatized by their family and communities of origin.[4] With regard to the reintegration of returned migrants in their communities of origin, IOM Niger reports that it often requires considerable family mediation efforts to bring families to accept women returning with a child if the child is conceived as a result of rape or outside the marriage, and the women may face stigma throughout their life.
Protecting the human rights of migrant women and girls must always be front and centre of migration policies and responses. We know that women and girls migrate from, into and through Niger for diverse reasons: they leave behind poverty, risks of violence, food insecurity, and generally are in search of better employment opportunities. They make important contributions to the socio-economic development of their families as well as communities of origin, transit, and destination. Migration can be a life-enriching choice, and it can be an expression of women’s agency and a vehicle for their empowerment. For many women, migration is a positive experience leading to a better life and enhanced livelihood opportunities, autonomy and agency. For instance, while a small proportion of Nigeriens (3 per cent) migrate to Europe,[5] many migrant women from Niger are skilled workers and professionals in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.[6] Upon returning to their countries of origin, migrant women may bring new knowledge, skills and attitude or become agents of change. Additionally, many reintegrate as successful entrepreneurs who contribute to their family or community.[7]
However, when migration is not safe or undertaken via irregular channels, it can increase women’s and girls’ risks of human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), trafficking in persons, and other forms of abuse and exploitation. According to an IOM survey conducted in 2016, almost 40 per cent of migrant women from Niger and other West-African countries experienced SGBV and abuse during their migration in Niger, Libya and Algeria.[8] Migrant women are also at high risk of trafficking in persons. 68% per cent of 333 victims of trafficking assisted by IOM in Niger from 2017 to 2019 were women and girls who experienced sexual and labour exploitation.[9]
One third of smuggled migrants identified in Niger in 2018 were women and girls.[10] Migrant women who are undocumented or in an irregular situation face greater risks of harassment, arrest and deportation; which may prevent them from reporting acts of abuse or seeking the help and support they need.[11] In Niger, most migrant women are working in the informal economy, mainly in domestic work, without any labour protections.[12] Women migrant domestic workers, particularly those who are undocumented, often suffer human and labour rights violations such as excessive working hours, lack of rest or annual leave[13], SGBV, lack of freedom of movement and limited or no contact with friends of family, resulting in physical, social and cultural isolation.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly severe on migrant women in Niger who already are some of the most marginalized members of society. A survey carried out by the Mixed Migration Centre found that the loss of income, due to the pandemic, has had severe economic and psychological impacts on migrant women in Niger.[14] The same study found that, since the start of the pandemic, migrant women have faced an increased risk of abuse, with 70 percent of migrant women surveyed citing an increase in rates of labour exploitation, and nearly 70 percent having experienced some form of sexual exploitation. These figures point to the fact that gender inequalities have been exacerbated in Niger and in the region during the pandemic. Women on the move – our mothers, sisters, daughters and aunts – are regularly exposed to abuses and injustices.
For too long, migrant women and girls have remained in the shadows, exposed to grave and avoidable human rights violations. It is high time to step up efforts to keep women and girls safe, regardless of their migration status. We, the representatives of IOM and UN Women in Niger, call upon the Government of Niger and all our partners to recognize the dangers and discrimination faced by women and girls on the move and take the necessary steps to prevent further suffering. It is critical that the National Migration Policy is implemented in a gender-responsive manner, by putting the human rights of all migrant women and girls front and centre, making dedicated human and financial resources available to address their needs in practice, ensuring their leadership and engagement in the Policy’s implementation, and increasing collection and analysis of sex and age-disaggregated data on migration. It is time for us all to step up and walk the talk when it comes to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls on the move!
[1] IOM. 2019. “World Migration Report 2020” IOM, Geneva.
[2] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Population Division. 2020. International Migration 2020 Highlights. ST/ESA/SER.A/452.
[3] Niang, B. 2017. “Maghreb‐Afrique Noire : Derrière le Drame des Migrants, le Poids des Préjugés Raciaux.” HistoireEngagee.ca, 27 November.
[4] Diarra, A. 2018. “Mariages d’Enfants au Mali et au Niger : Comment les Comprendre ?” Le Monde Afrique, 29 November; OHCHR. 2015. “Le Comité pour l'Élimination de la Discrimination Raciale Examine le Rapport du Niger.” 7 August.
[5] European Commission. 2019. Migration Profile: Niger. European Union.
[6] World Bank. 2016. Migration Remittances Factbook 2016. Washington, DC: World Bank, page 197.
[7] IOM. Undated. “From Tripoli to Zinder: Despite Challenges Related to Return, Saratou Strives to Achieve Self-empowerment”; OIM. 2021. “Niger appuie la Direction Régionale de la Promotion de la Femme et Protection de l’Enfance de Zinder en vue d’apporter une assistance humanitaire à 125 femmes migrantes de retour de Côte d’Ivoire.” 18 May.
[8] IOM. 2017. “IOM Niger: 2016 Migrant Profiling Report.” IOM, Geneva.
[9] IOM. 2020. “Migration in West and North Africa and across the Mediterranean.” IOM, Geneva.
[10] ANLTP/TIM. 2018. “Rapport de Collecte des Données Administratives, Traite des Personnes et Trafic Illicite de Migrants au Niger: Année 2018.” Niamey.
[11] United Nations General Assembly. 2019. “Report on Violence against Women Migrant Workers.” A/74/235
[12] Maiga, D. 2011. “Genre et Migration au Niger.” CARIM-AS 2011/08. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Florence.
[13] Maiga, D. 2011. “Genre et Migration au Niger.” CARIM-AS 2011/08. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Florence.
[14] Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 2021. “Covid-19 and socio-economic situation of migrants in Niger: Analysis of 4Mi data collected in Niger between July and September 2020.” January.