Youth and gender dynamics through the migration cycle
Overview: The number of young migrants (aged 15-24) has increased over the years. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the estimated number of young migrants rose from 22.1 million in 1990 to 31.7 million in 2020, accounting for 11.3 per cent of the total migrant population (UN DESA, 2020). Gender norms, roles and obligations impact youth mobility, from the drivers of migration, such as education and employment, to their integration, in which age and gender impact migrants’ agency and vulnerability. Global crises also motivate youth mobility including contexts of displacement induced by weather-related disasters and climate change, and violence and war. Understanding the gendered dimensions of youth migration is critical to protect youth on the move and to ensure the benefits of migration are fully realized. In this exercise the class will learn about how gender impacts youth migration through the migration cycle, from pre-departure, transit, to stay.
Part A: Have each group write a response to the chapter questions outlined below (also on p. 7 of the report).
How many girls and boys are living outside their country of birth as migrants or refugees? How many have been displaced within their own borders?
Where do the majority of international child migrants live? What is the gender balance among these girls and boys in these countries?
What do the data tell us about unaccompanied children and gender?
Part A: Have each group write a response to the chapter questions outlined below (also on p. 7 of the report).
What agency do girls and boys have in the decision to migrate and does this differ by gender?
Are girls and boys motivated to migrate for different reasons?
To what degree do structural factors, such as conflict or climate events, impact girls’ and boys’ migration differently?
Part A: Have each group write a response to the chapter questions outlined below (also on p. 7 of the report).
Which deprivations are influenced by gender while a child is in transit?
Do girls and boys face similar obstacles as they attempt to reach their destination?
Does their gender intersect with other identities to render them vulnerable to particular harms?
Part A: Have each group write a response to the chapter questions outlined below (also on p. 7 of the report).
Do migrant and displaced children experience different hardships and opportunities based on their gender?
How does gender impact a child’s assimilation process, including access to school, resources, and services?
Part B: Present your findings to the class.
Part C: Work with your classmates
Create an infographic to depict how gender and youth influence the migration experience, see “Figure 8. Gender dimensions throughout the migration cycle” in WMR 2024 Ch. 6, also shared in the resource section.
