FG worries over increasing migration of women overseas
The Federal Government has expressed dismay over the increasing number of Nigerian women migrating overseas in search of greener pastures, saying it predisposes them to lots of danger.
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who expressed government’s concern in Abuja yesterday, however described migration as a natural phenomenon that could not be stopped.
She said managed migration must be encouraged for positive impact on the migrant, the country of origin and the host country.
Dabiri-Erewa, who stated this in the paper she delivered at a lecture, “Migration, Diaspora and Africa’s Development at the National Defence College for Participants of Course 29”, maintained that diaspora phenomena as a product of legitimate migration, hence the need for regular (legal) migration as opposed to irregular (illegal ) migration. She stated further that Nigeria was now experiencing what she described as feminism of migration, a situation where more women are getting involved than men in labour migration.
She said the feminisation of migration often rise to specific problematic forms of migration, such as commercialized migration of women and girls as domestic workers and caregivers, which also often results in the trafficking of women for labour and sexual exploitation.
According to her, the Diaspora Commission is in high level talks with countries, especially those in Europe, to mainstream migration issues for a win-win situation for both destination and departure countries. The NIDCOM boss listed key drivers of migration to include security, economic, environmental, socio-political and other pull and push factors.
