Niamey –  This week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered up again with the Nigerien music label Art-Disc Records to organize the second edition of the workshop “Meeting of Female Migrants, Women Working in Media and Female Artists” (REFEMAC) at the Centre Culturel Franco-Nigérien Jean Rouch (CCFN) in Niamey.

Since 2019, REFEMAC has welcomed active Nigerien women leaders and influencers from media, the digital world, as well as the art scene. Launched under the theme “Same Dreams, Same Empowerment Aspirations”, this year’s edition brought together 13 Nigerien female artists and influencers and nine migrant women who are staying at IOM’s transit center in Niamey.

The aim of the initiative was to engage youth leaders and equip them with accurate information about gender-sensitive topics related to irregular migration, in order to better sensitize other women and girls wishing to embark on perilous migration journeys.

The initiative was organized under the inter-agency Italian Fund For Migration, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and implemented between July 2020 and June 2021.  

During the five-day workshop, the women attended several conferences related to migration and migrant rights and brainstormed about strategies for the social reintegration of migrant women upon their return and ways of changing the negative perceptions towards migrants. Throughout the week, the women hosted at IOM’s transit center in Niamey also had the chance to open up about their difficult migration experiences.

Mariama is one of the many women who left their country in pursue of better economic opportunities. After traveling from Sierra Leone to Algeria, she returned to Niger at the beginning of the pandemic and had to spend two weeks in quarantine in Assamaka. She is now waiting for her return home, through IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.

“I really appreciated this training, because we have a lot to say, but we are not always listened to. Being migrants means that people look down on us and judge our choices. This week allowed us to free ourselves from that judgement,” Mariama says.

Adama Moussa, journalist with the Anfani news agency, has been tempted herself to embark on the journey to Europe, but she hesitated. “We often hear stories about failed migration journeys, but we don't usually pay enough attention and only focus on the successful ones,” Adama says. “I applaud the courage of these women. Where many of us would give up, they are still here, standing, ready to share their experiences to ensure that their sisters do not fall into the same trap.”

Abdourahamane Harouna Koudou, Coordinator at Art-Disc Records, is already versed in the topic of migration due to its longstanding partnership with IOM. “We knew it would be difficult for some of the women to open up, so it’s amazing to see them break out of their shell, connect with the other participants and bring their ideas to life,” Harouna says.

Throughout the week, the women collaborated on innovative awareness-raising projects related to migration. At the end of the weeklong workshop, the group pitched their ideas on stage at CCFN, which was live-streamed on Facebook for more than 10,000 viewers. The most well-thought-out and novel project ideas will have the chance to be implemented in the next few months.

“Such initiatives give women a much-needed platform to share their sorrows, needs, and hopes, and help them become agents of change,” said Barbara Rijks, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Niger. “There is no one better equipped to raise awareness about the realities of the migration journey than the women who have lived it themselves. If we want to better respond to migrants’ needs, we need to listen and give  them a voice.”

In the framework of the same project, IOM with its partners, will identify and continue building the capacity of community mobilizers, implement awareness-raising activities related to gender-based violence, and improve access to relevant services.

IOM’s community outreach team will continue to reinforce dialogue and interaction between migrants and host communities to facilitate social cohesion. The programme aims to encourage frequent positive interactions between the two, through regular visits to migrant meeting places, but also by organizing capacity building programmes, workshops, vocational trainings and festivals.

For more information, please contact Monica Chiriac at IOM Niger at Tel: +227 8931 8764, Email: mchiriac@iom.int.