The member countries of the Regional Conference on Migration (CRM), in coordination with the technical and financial support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Great Duchy of Luxembourg, conducted the fourth edition of the Regional Congress on Women in Migratory Contexts : Migrant women agents of their own development, of their families, of their communities.

“This effort to position the issue at the regional level responds to the characteristics of the migratory dynamics of the region, in parallel with the search for the positioning of the RCM as a regional process of reference for the protection and care of migrant women in the various stages of the migratory cycle,” said Cindy Mariella Portal, Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility of El Salvador, Pro-Tempore Presidency of the RCM.

Likewise, she referred to the importance of this space, which since 2017 has been promoting dialogue, information exchange and good practices, to make changes in social narratives, so as to make visible the role of women, not only in care but also in supporting their family, community and themselves.

“I hope that this congress renews our spirit of collaboration and that, through a joint vision, it will allow the creation of proposals aimed at caring for women and girls in condition of mobility, the development of their autonomy, empowerment from a gender perspective, human rights and social inclusion”, concluded the deputy minister.

IOM Regional Director for North, Central America and the Caribbean, Michele Klein Solomon, thanked the RCM and the Pro-Tempore Presidency under the responsibility of El Salvador, for allowing the IOM to continue being part of this "historic process" and reiterated IOM's unwavering commitment to support and accompany governments in the implementation of the commitments made during the Congress, which holds the promise of benefits for migrant women and girls.

“All the final inputs of the congress will be presented at the next Regional Conference on Women to be held in Buenos Aires. These commitments will make an invaluable contribution to the safety and dignity of the women and girls who undertake these dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities,” said Klein Solomon.

For her part, Paola Zepeda, IOM Regional Project Coordinator and acting Chief of the IOM El Salvador Mission, referred to the main results achieved within regional space for dialogue over the past four years, including the implementation and monitoring of the Guidelines for care and protection of women in migration contexts, as well as the inclusion of this space as a good practice within the United Nations Network on Migration, in the framework of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF)

“We highlight the role of the RCM in positioning the links between migration, security and gender, as well as the multidisciplinary approach of the congresses that have allowed addressing the issue of women in migration and contributed to a greater awareness of the Member Countries regarding

the specific needs, interests, and potential of migrant women, in the countries of origin, transit, and destination,” Zepeda remarked.

The topics addressed during the two days touched upon the identification of challenges and recommendations for the economic autonomy of migrant women, as well as the protection of girls and women in contexts of mobility in the region and the presentation of progress regarding the implementation, challenges, and good practices of the “Guidelines for the care and protection of women in migration contexts. Within this framework, the update of the virtual course Women in Migration of the IOM learning platform, E-Campus, was launched. The course aims to improve knowledge on key issues that intersect with gender and migration. The course contemplates the need for gender-sensitive data, understanding the risk factors affecting migrant women, the impacts of COVID-19, as well as the links between human mobility, environmental degradation, and climate change, from a gender perspective.

This fourth edition of the congress was held in a bimodal format (face-to-face and online transmission), on July 14 and 15 and was organized by the Pro-Tempore Presidency of the RCM of El Salvador, through the Ministry of Diaspora and Human Mobility and the Salvadoran Institute for the Development of Women (ISDEMU). Delegations from the RCM member countries participated. These delegations included public servants from Ministries, Directorates and National Women's Institutes; Institute/Directorate of Migration and other instances related to migration issues.

The congress takes place within the framework of the regional project "Promotion of social inclusion of migrant women in public policies in Central America and the Dominican Republic: prevention of gender-based violence", implemented by IOM and financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.