Putting gender issues on the migration map

How migration affects gender issues in host, transit and home countries is a relatively under-researched issue. An EU-backed project embarked on a voyage to chart this dynamic in south-eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Migration, gender and intercultural interaction are three of the most important social issues facing Europe. Where the three overlap and intersect is where some of the most interesting cultural developments are taking place.

With EU funding, the GE.M.IC project tackled these questions from a critical perspective, focusing on how migrant mobility and cultural diversity affect gender relations in host, transit and sending societies. Pooling researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, this multidisciplinary project explored six thematic areas: representations of national identity, education, urban social spaces and movements, religion, violence and the family.

During the first phase, project partners charted the status quo in participant countries regarding academic analysis of the six thematic areas as well as in the policymaking sphere. This was followed by fieldwork and analyses of the data gathered.

In addition, GE.M.IC compared results from each country to demonstrate the particular dynamics of migration and integration in south-eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The project found that migrants were important agents of intercultural exchange between their home and host countries. GE.M.IC shed important light on how gender relations and standards of gender intelligibility in countries of origin and destination are reinforced, challenged or transformed through the migration experience. This should help policymakers in all countries concerned to elaborate appropriate gender mainstreaming policies.

Related link:
http://cordis.europa.eu