The Executive Director of the Denny Social Welfare Hub, DSWHUB, Mrs Abosede Otukpe has raised the alarm over the dangers of irregular migration even as the organisation has launched an innovative project, ‘I-EMPATHY ‘designed to amplify women’s voices in migration decision-making.
Addressing journalists during an interactive session with some of the returnees in Lagos recently, Otukpe who described irregular migration as the practice of crossing an international border without official permission from the authorities noted that many young Nigerian women, disproportionately affected, find themselves exploited and suffering as they pursue irregular migration.
Otukpe said despite Nigeria being a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), women face significant challenges and the country ranks low in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, and discriminatory laws, cultural norms, and gender stereotypes persist.
“ In this context, the I-EMPATHY campaign seeks to address these issues and empower women against the backdrop of irregular migration.”
She said the current economic challenges in the country have pushed many young vulnerable individuals, especially women, toward hasty decisions in search of a better life.
Speaking further, Otukpe explained that DSWHUB initiated the Information Empowerment against Irregular Migration and Human Trafficking (I-EMPATHY) campaign, a crucial component of The Migrant Project to address issues relating to irregular migration.
She said: “The project seeks to amplify women’s voices in migration decision-making and promote safer, more informed choices.
She said the initiative would also empower women and potential migrants with information, raise awareness, and address the underlying factors contributing to the challenges.
Otukpe advised those planning to travel to make it legal, get the skills that would boost their employability, and also learn the language of the country of their destination to ease integration.
Some of the returnees who narrated their experiences said that irregular migration exposed them to danger, discrimination, exploitation, and abuse.
“The I-EMPATHY campaign, under the umbrella of The Migrant Project, aims to amplify women’s voices in migration decision-making. The key hashtags include #DSWHUB #IEMPATHY #AmplifyWomenVoices #SafeMigration #EmpowerChoices #TheMigrationProject, with the slogan “Be Informed, Be Empowered.”
Some of the returnees who spoke at the interactive session called for massive awareness against irregular migration.
“We are still living with the trauma, Mrs Jennifer and her husband Stanley Joseph, lamented.
Jennifer and Joseph embarked on a dangerous trip to Italy through Libya where they were arrested and jailed. “After we were released from prison because I was pregnant and due for delivery, my experience at the hospital where I was admitted still scares me to date,” Jennifer said.
“I went through a caesarean section and delivered a girl at one of the public hospitals. Days after the delivery, my stomach started protruding, and pus was coming out from the opening.
“I was in pain; I went back to the hospital to complain, but I wasn’t attended to. I was left to die. No one cares about you especially if you are a black woman. They see blacks as if they are nobody.
“We had no money and my husband’s family in Nigeria sold a land and sent money for my treatment at a private hospital where it was discovered that the placenta was not extracted from my stomach after delivery,” Jennifer narrated.
Jennifer who called on well-meaning Nigerians for support said she needed further treatments, adding that there was also the need for psychosocial support for returnees.
Like the couple, other returnees also narrated their painful experiences.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
