Interrogating the Relationships Between Migration, Gender, and Development

In the age of unprecedented human mobility, migration from and within the globe has gendered aspects, which have implications for migration flows, trends, and patterns. Global migration occurs in both directions. Although gender roles, inequalities, and interactions influence who migrates, they also significantly affect female labour migrants who journey. The feminisation of migration and the large number of women living in increasingly precarious conditions in destination countries provide additional impetus and create an urgent need to address the human rights of migrant women worldwide. To maximise the contribution of migrants to development, emphasis has been placed on increasing the use of formal remittance channels and reducing the cost of remittances. There is a growing recognition that remittances have become an essential source of foreign exchange for some countries of origin. However, their governments can continue promoting growth, creating new jobs, and ensuring citizens’ social and economic security. Moreover, there is a growing recognition that the fact that remittances have become a significant source of foreign exchange for some countries of origin does not mean that their governments can relax about their role in promoting economic growth, creating new jobs, and protecting the welfare of their citizens.