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The journey towards attaining gender balance ends far out of sight as women continue to encounter stumbling blocks along the way causing them to trail behind their male counterparts.

Despite their concerted efforts to improve their livelihoods, women continue to face new challenges which are dynamic requiring the society to change its mindset about empowered women.

Women are now pushing for more inclusive programmes that do not discriminate against them as well as being afforded a seat at the table where decisions are being made.

“When women are accorded high positions, they can positively influence strategies that are being developed and help empower their counterparts across the board. For instance, women are adversely affected by climate change and when they are engaged, they can give insightful information on smart climate responses,” International Organisation for Migration Kenya (IOM-K) Chief of Mission Sharon Dimanche said.

Dimanche recounted how women have faced untold suffering due to climate change urging governments in the region to form an alliance to protect migrant women moving from their countries for among other reasons, climate change.

“During the Elnino rains, we saw many women and children getting displaced and before then when there was drought, women were walking long distances in search of water sometimes with their children on their backs. The maximum amount of water she can bring is 20 litres, then divide it for various uses including drinking, cooking and bathing,

“Others leave in the morning and return the following morning. Where have they slept? Was there security or were they not at risk of sexual abuse? And this is what women are going through regularly. It is important that we come together and see how we can deliberately and be intentional and protect and empower the women,” she said during a panel discussion ahead of International Women’s Day celebrations.

Additionally, the IOM Kenya boss said that even as women migrate to perceived destinations in search of better livelihoods, the majority of them are falling into the hands of human traffickers, further deepening their woes as they seek economic empowerment.

“Seven out of ten victims of trafficking are women yet remittances to Kenya are contributing significantly to the economic growth. Last year, remittances were the number one foreign currency earner with women bringing in 59 per cent of the total amount,” she stated.

According to Dimanche, as women migrate they go through a lot of challenges including exploitation and sexual abuse, requiring governments to create safe and regular pathways to protect women and youth migrants.

“We cannot achieve sustainable development, if women are not at the centre of whatever governments are doing. IOM is facilitating safe pathways for Europe-Africa through comprehensive migration agreements to have ethical ways migrants move from country of origin to their destination,” she said.

She went on: “In the global South we have a youth bulge where many skilled youths have no employment while on the other side (developed nations) we have huge labour shortage due to their ageing population causing the demographic imbalance thus calling for the development of regular pathways.”

Kenya Airways Quality Control and Integrity Manager Adelaide Amaro who was a member of the panel disclosed how the national carrier has implemented a raft of measures to curb human trafficking through its fleet.

“For the cabin crew, pilots and checking staff, we have specific training on detection, indicators and reporting protocol. We have been advised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, not to harm suspects. What we do as an airline is just to protect and prevent, as other government agencies take up the rest of the matter including prosecution,” Amaro told the discussants.

She added: “When a man and a woman who appear to be travelling together arrive at the airport, and we ask them where they are travelling to or who is receiving you and the man is the only one answering, then we know that something is wrong.”

Amaro said KQ’s security department has identified the high-risk lines and the hot routes that have high potential routes for human trafficking adding that due to the domestic servitude, women are the most vulnerable where they end up suffering from other dangers including sexual exploitation.

“We need to protect the migrants to ensure that before they travel, during the transit and even in the destination and when they return. They should have enough information that the place they are going to work is not fraudulent and is safe,” she said

In her statement, Gender Principal Secretary (PS) Anne Wango’mbe said that the ministry has initiated enactment of a legislative framework to address some of the challenges of gender gaps in development and both internal and external migrant workers

“Some of these women migrant workers do domestic care work so the gender department is spearheading the creation of a policy that supports the workers in Kenya and other countries of destination,” Wangombe said.

She emphasized that the Kenyan government recognises the role of migrant workers in the growth of the economy of the country where migrant workers in 2023 remitted Ksh4.1 billion.

“President William Ruto directed that comprehensive mapping of all skills be undertaken to ensure that we map our skills to employment through the National Employment Authority Integrated System portal that has been put up to link job seekers with formal and informal employers within the country and abroad,” Wang’ombe said.