Need for gender responsive models to navigate workforce related migration
In an effort to support young women navigating the challenges of workforce-related migration, UNICEF YuWaah hosted a high-level roundtable today at the UNICEF Office in New Delhi. The discussion brought together key ecosystem partners to gather insights on migration support models that have been successful and co-develop scalable, gender-responsive models for migration support, aimed at enabling safer and more dignified transitions for young women entering urban employment.advertisementDespite migration being a critical pathway for employment in India, women - especially those at the early stages of their careers, remain significantly underrepresented among migrants due to concerns around safety, financial insecurity, social norms, and the lack of transitional support services.Recognizing this gap, UNICEF YuWaah, under its Digital Girls Hub initiative, plans to pilot a Migration Support Program designed to address these barriers. The program will test models that offer bundled, short-term support services that encourage more young women and their parents to feel safe and comfortable migrating for jobs
Setting the context, Giorgia Varisco, Chief of YuWaah said, "Young women are aspiring to engage in meaningful work. Yet, many of these opportunities are concentrated in urban areas. Migration, while potentially transformative, can also present many challenges, especially when undertaken without adequate support. Through the Digital Girls Hub initiative, UNICEF YuWaah will pilot a Migration Support Program, designed to strengthen existing efforts through collaboration and insights from our ecosystem partners."advertisement"Leaving the village and surviving in the urban workforce is very tough. We need to create enabling conditions for young women to join the workforce-through support at different stages of their journey, starting from the source state, with pre-migration support, to destination support. Employers must also ensure dignity and safety" said Arti Ahuja, Former Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of IndiaAt the discussion, L Sudhakara Reddy, Director (M&E), DDUGKY Resource Cell, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) said, "The solution to migration and retention isn't with one player, it's a shared responsibility between training partners, employers, and the state. Everyone has a role to play."The speakers collectively looked at ways to develop gender-responsive models that are informed by real-world evidence. They also explored measures that foster a secure, organised, and systematic migration process, with a particular focus on resolving the unique challenges faced by women migrants as they seek employment opportunities.About UNICEF YuWaahAs part of the UN Youth Policy 2030, the UN Secretary-General launched UNICEF's global Generation Unlimited (GenU) movement at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. This initiative addresses the urgent needs of young people aged 10-24 by expanding learning, skill development, employment, and engagement opportunities. The India chapter of Generation Unlimited, known as YuWaah, was launched in November 2019. By 2030, YuWaah at UNICEF aims to: advertisementCreate pathways for 100 million young people to access aspirational socio-economic opportunities. Enable 200 million young people to acquire relevant skills for productive lives and the future of work. Partner with 300 million young people as change-makers, providing spaces for them to develop their leadership skills.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Five countries elected to UN Security Council for 2026/27
The UN General Assembly elected Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia to the Security Council for two-year terms starting in 2026. These five nations will replace Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Guyana, and Slovenia. Annalena Baerbock, former German foreign minister, was also elected as president of the General Assembly for its upcoming 80th session. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday elected Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia to the 15-member U.N. Security Council for two-year terms starting on Jan. 1, Security Council is the only U.N. body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorizing use of force. It has five permanent veto-wielding members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United remaining 10 members are elected, with five new members joining every year. Bahrain, Colombia, the DRC, Latvia, and Liberia - who were all elected in uncontested slates - will replace Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Guyana and ensure geographical representation, seats are allocated to regional groups. But even if candidates are running unopposed in their group, they still need to win the support of more than two-thirds of the General received 186 votes, DRC 183 votes, Liberia 181 votes, Colombia 180 votes and Latvia 178 General Assembly on Monday elected former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock as president of the 193-member body for its 80th session, which begins in September.
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
National Security Advisory Board's Devendra Sharma Elected Head Of World Body On Large Dams
The International Commission on Large Dams, established in 1928 with its head office in Paris, France, has 107 member countries, including India Devendra Kumar Sharma, a member of the National Security Advisory Board, has been elected president of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) during a secret ballot held in Chengdu, China, at the General Assembly of the 93rd Annual General Body Meeting and 28th Congress of ICOLD. His term will last from June 2025 to 2028. Sharma won the election in a direct contest against a candidate from the United States. The International Commission on Large Dams, established in 1928 with its head office in Paris, France, has 107 member countries, including India. The Indian National Committee on Large Dams became a member in 1930. Each member country has one vote in the annual General Assembly elections, held in different countries every year. ICOLD's members collaborate to exchange knowledge in the planning, design, construction, and safety of dams. Since India became a member in 1930, this is only the second time an Indian has been elected president of ICOLD. Sharma previously served as chairman of the Asia Pacific Group of ICOLD and co-chaired the 'World Declaration on the Role of Dams for Energy Transition and Climate Change Adaptation". ICOLD leads the profession in ensuring that dams are built safely, efficiently, economically, and without environmental harm. It provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in dam engineering and encourages advances in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of large dams and their associated civil works. ICOLD's 29 technical committees, consisting of over 600 experts worldwide, produce detailed technical publications known as ICOLD Bulletins. In his address to the General Assembly, Sharma noted that his election is a significant milestone for the commission, given his background from a developing country. He brings extensive expertise in dam and hydroelectric project construction and has served in various government departments in India at both the state and central levels. Sharma has outlined an ambitious mandate for the ICOLD community. His election is expected to benefit India by advancing dam safety, sharing Indian experiences globally, and promoting new hydroelectric projects, water storage, and energy transition. Sharma is committed to enhancing gender diversity, inclusivity, and the participation of underrepresented national committees in annual events. He also aims to address climate change challenges related to dams, develop hydropower in underutilised regions, and focus on capacity building and knowledge exchange. Sharma hails from a village in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
UN could cut thousands of jobs under reform plans: internal memo
The cash-strapped United Nations could slash 20 percent of jobs or thousands of positions in its executive arm under ongoing reform plans, according to an internal memo seen Thursday by AFP. "The Secretary-General has set an ambitious target, to achieve a meaningful reduction of the regular budget for 2026, including a reduction of 20 percent of posts, for the UN Secretariat," UN controller Chandramouli Ramanathan wrote in a message this week to dozens of department heads. The UN's budget for 2025 totals $3.7 billion. The Secretariat, one of the main bodies tasked with carrying out the decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, employed about 35,000 people as of late 2023 most of them in New York, but also in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. The UN 80 reform initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March aims to streamline operations at the world body amid budgetary constraints. Guterres recently warned of "painful" changes ahead, including staff reductions, and did obliquely raise the specter of a 20-percent cut in staffing. The memo seen by AFP, dated May 27, asks all department heads to prepare lists of posts to eliminate by June 13, focusing on "redundant, overlapping or non-critical functions." "I count on your cooperation for this collective effort whose aggressive timelines are recognized," Ramanathan wrote. If approved by the General Assembly, which must adopt the 2026 budget, the staff cuts would go into effect on January 1, 2026 for those posts already vacant, and later for those occupied, in accordance with UN regulations. The memo says that agencies like the UN refugee agency , the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and UN Women which are partially funded out of the UN's regular budget would receive separate instructions. The UN has for years faced a chronic liquidity crisis, because some member states do not pay their expected contributions in full, and others do not pay on time. The United States, the top contributor to the UN ordinary budget at 22 percent of the total, was $1.5 billion behind in its payments by the end of January, a UN spokesman said. And in 2024, China, the number two contributor at 20 percent, only paid its contribution in late December. Beyond the liquidity woes, some fear that funding will drop under US President Donald Trump. Several UN agencies have already been hit hard by deep cuts in US foreign aid. abd/sst/nl
