IN AFRICA II. The strategic framework for managing migration MIGRATION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA Recommended strategies i. Incorporate environmental considerations in the formulation of national and regional migration management policies to better address environment related causes of migratory movements, as well as the impact migratory movements have on the environment - increase collaboration with relevant international agencies to this end, including by strengthening research and data gathering and exchange on the relationship between migration and the environment. ii. Counter environmental degradation caused by the large protracted presence of displaced persons, for example by means of implementing relevant and targeted environmental protection programmes, including periodic review of ecosystem impacts and remedial measures to mitigate such impacts; in the case of protracted refugee situations, calling upon UNHCR and countries of first asylum to identify priority areas for resettlement based on the degree of potential environmental degradation and the need to protect ecosystems in a given area. iii. Implement the Common African Position on Climate Change. 9.8 Migration and gender Gender and development recognise that by virtue of their genders and socialisation, women and men are positioned differently in society; have different experiences; perform different roles; have different needs and interests and may have different capacities to contribute and benefit from development. Who migrates, why, and their migration experience is affected by gender roles, relations and inequalities. 20 Although some attempts have been made to understand the gender dimensions of migration in Africa, this area remains largely unexplored, and in general there is a lack of gendered research, analysis and understanding of women and men’s diverse experiences as migrants. Gendered research would aid gender-responsive migration policy and programme development, which would be 20 www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/bridge-publications/cutting-edgepacks/gender-and-migratio more effective in addressing the needs of migrant women and men and augmenting their contribution to development. In 2015 women migrants constituted 46 per cent of international migrants in Africa. 21 Women constitute 49 percent of the international migrant population, and in some countries as much as 70 to 80 percent. The traditional patterns of migration within and from Africa, which has been male-dominated, longterm, and long-distance, is increasingly becoming feminised. African women move independently within and outside their countries, inter alia, for economic reasons, education, professional development, marriage and protection. The increasing feminisation of migration is a reflection of the changing demands for particular types of skills, including growing demand 21 UN, 2015. International Migration Report 2015, p.28. 77