Human mobility has been an inherent human condition throughout history. From earliest human history, women and men have migrated in search of a better life, to populate other places on the planet, or to escape and survive human-made or natural dangers. Today migration is a fact of life for an increasing number of people around the world: there are more than 244 million migrants in the world, and almost half are women. The overwhelming majority of people who move do so inside their own country. However, migration can often involve cross-border movements, from a developing to a developed country, or more commonly within the same region.
Today, human mobility as a multi-causal phenomenon implies that people are migrating for a variety of reasons, which may be economic, social, political or environmental. Individuals migrate from the places where they were living because of the violence generated by State and non-State actors, armed conflicts, inequality, poverty, a lack of protection of economic, social and cultural rights, political instability, corruption, insecurity, various forms of discrimination, natural disasters, and the impact of climate change. Also, it may imply situations where men and women are physically transported across border without their consent, as in the case of trafficking. The factors that draw the migrant population are predominantly the prospect of better security, improved employment or educational opportunities, better access to services, more favorable climatic conditions, and others.
Many States have regulated migration through policies, laws, judgments and practices that directly violate the human rights of migrants and their families. At the same time, States have developed standards and mechanisms at the international, regional, bilateral and unilateral levels to regulate the flow of persons between States. The many laws, rules and regulations, fora and institutions through which States control international migration, either unilaterally or bilaterally for the most part, have resulted in a lack of consistency in global, regional and national governance of international migration that poses a challenge for the universal and regional codes developed for the protection of human rights.
Mobility is different for men and women, both in terms of the reasons why they migrate as well as the impact wile in transit and upon arrival to the destination and beyond. In this course we will explore the international rules that apply in different mobility scenarios focusing particularly in the effect that it has on women.
Through the course the students will explore:
– What is human mobility?
– How does human mobility particularly affects women?
– What are the main human rights challenges that create?
– What are the main international instruments that safeguard women in a mobility context?
– What is the role of the international and regional organizations?
The course will provide a comprehensive understanding of the effect on human mobility on women; how women’s human rights are affected by States’ policies and practices; and what is their protection under international human rights law.
(April 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, and May 4)
Contact Andrea Galindo (andreagalindo@bennington.edu) for registration.