International Organization for Migration

IOM works with its partners in the international community to: (IOM)

• Assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management.
• Advance understanding of migration issues.
• Encourage social and economic development through migration.
• Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

According to a research done by INSTRAW: “One out of two migrant is a woman”, this number is increasing and these are women who live and work away from their countries of origin send billions of dollars to their relatives - often more frequently than men (INSTRAW, 2008). Nowadays woman are migrating more to other countries for different reason, but they also have the poorest life conditions when they arrive in the host country, they are exposed to human trafficking, abuse, they don´t have access to some jobs etc.

The OIM usually are asked to work in conflict and post-conflict situations. In the camps of refugees and displaced people, they intervene in collaboration with other United Nations agencies such as the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), UNICEF, or the World Health Organization (WHO) so that women can receive the required attention. Information campaigns are developed so that women can acquire more knowledge. They are given tools and equipment so that they can promote health correctly and improve their environment. (INSTRAW, 2008)
In the case of professional women who leave their home countries on their own, they demand access to decent work and proper payment, and to be able to live on their salary in their host country. One of the other requests from the majority of professional women migrants is to have the possibility of contributing to the development of their host countries, either by sending money to help the family left behind, or as investors with local associates to create employment and profit-generating activities for themselves. (INSTRAW, 2008). IOM developed credit project for women to give them access to save money for future uncertainties from their income in order to reduce poverty, while increasing self-sufficiency among women from low- income, as well as to send remittances to their home country. Since most of the times these women have large families and are single mother they don’t have the capacity to have a savings account. We tend to think about the present but barely about the future.

The IOM has a program called: "Migrant Women for Development in Africa" (WMIDA) which aims at engaging West African women migrants living in Italy in the development of their countries (International Organization for Migration). The program supports West African women migrants interested in using their remittances to establish small or medium enterprises in their countries of origin through joint ventures with Italian partners and host communities. IOM is going t chose 15 entrepreneurial projects from the ones that are presented by migrant women; which then will receive financial support as well as professional training on business development, management, marketing, and access to credit.