Let’s Make the (Im)possible Happen: Empowering Migrant Women
Text and photos by Farhana Akter
Migration, a courageous decision towards life and prosperity, driven by various factors like education, profession, and socio-economic conditions, often leads to the labeling of individuals as migrants, minors, refugees, or asylum-seekers, creating struggles and vulnerabilities. For migrant women these challenges are amplified, hindering their social and state contributions.
Migrant women, constitute a significant portion of global migrants, often find themselves invisible in decision-making process due to social and family restrictions. Despite their contributions to the economy and society, their voices remain unheard. Nonetheless, their resilience and adaptability in negative challenges demonstrate their potential for empowerment.
This campaign highlights the stories of diverse migrant women—a mother from Nepal ensuring a better future for her autistic daughter, a gynecologist from Bangladesh facing unexpected uncertainties, a determined visual artist navigating the obstacles of migration, and a wise African retired teacher challenging the notion of losing rights due to migration; and many more like this.
It emphasizes the cultural way of recognizing people and their strengths, urging society to perceive migrants positively to trigger empowerment. When people migrate to a developed country expect to have a better life, but women’s storiesindicate otherwise. Skilled migrants should be seen as a resource for the community and not as unwanted and thus stopped from making a decent life.
With the upcoming EU Parliament elections, casting your vote is essential as it could make the citizenship process for migrants more straightforward, with a special emphasis on improving the lives of women and families. This effort is crucial for strengthening our society. By viewing migrants as potential future citizens, we can address significant challenges such as joblessness and the lack of opportunities for women. Adopting such approaches not only helps solve these problems but also promotes a more inclusive and empowering environment for everyone.
The goal of empowering migrant women transcends aspiration; it is a fundamental requirement for nurturing inclusive societies. By recognizing their strengths, raising awareness about their experiences, facilitating their participation in decision-making, and championing supportive policies, we lay the groundwork for a more equitable future. This vision demands concerted action from policymakers, influencers, and society at large. Our participation can transform the ambition into reality, ensuring migrant women not only thrive as vibrant contributors but also as catalysts for positive change!
