Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Migration have been charged with being gender-sensitive in their approaches and interventions. The charge was made during a two-day CSO workshop organized by The Migrant Project under its Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) Project, with the theme: “Amplifying Women’s Voices in Migration Decision Making: Crafting Gender Sensitive Campaign.”
In her welcome remarks, Chidi Koldsweat, NGO Coordinator for the FFP project, said the two-day workshop was designed to address the unique challenges that women encounter in the context of migration.
Koldsweat also noted that the workshop will also highlight how CSO groups can leverage the numerous opportunities available to ensure the inclusion of women in migration interventions and programmes.
Session facilitator and gender advocate, Fabia Ogunmekan, in her presentation, highlighted the importance of gender-sensitive and gender-responsive communications in their campaigns and interventions.
Ogunmekan advised the CSO groups to “choose an issue that will transform the lives of women and girls, decide on the campaign using a gender lens; set your campaign objectives; and develop a strategy that reflects gender equality values.”
For her part, Omolara Olusaiye, FFP Project Coordinator, admonished the participants to utilize lessons learnt in their work.
She noted that women are vulnerable and it is important that their interests are captured in the design, planning and implementation of interventions related to migration.
Migration expert and Counsellor on the FFP project, Enitan Ibironke said “gender sensitivity in migration cannot be overemphasised.” Migration often affects men and women differently due to societal roles, cultural norms, and economic factors.
“Women may face unique challenges such as increased vulnerability to exploitation, human trafficking, or gender-based violence during migration,” she added.
Isimeme Whyte, one of the participants and lead at Genius Hub Global Initiatives, on behalf of all participants, appreciated the organizers for the impactful and well-structured sessions.
Whyte said: “we were particularly impressed by the comprehensive content that covered various aspects of the advocacy work, including crafting gender-sensitive messages, effective communication strategies for campaigns on women’s participation in migration issues, the strategic use of social media, and creating impactful campaign ads.
“The knowledge and skills we’ve gained during these two days will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our work and advocacy in migration and women’s rights. We are eager to apply what we’ve learned to make a positive difference in the lives of the women we seek to empower and amplify.”
The workshop also featured a practical training session on how to use social media to create impactful messaging.
Also in attendance were the FFP project team members which include; Tosin Adeoti and Blessing Oladunjoye and social media expert Micheal.