Cairo, Egypt – As the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched the first-ever Gender Focal Points Training for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.  

Organized by IOM’s Regional Office for MENA, the workshop brought together participants from IOM country missions across the region to enhance their capacities to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion in IOM programmes and workplaces and advance on gender mainstreaming approaches in humanitarian and development work. 

Held from November 26 to 28 in Cairo, Egypt, the training coincides with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which calls for accountability and action to end violence against women and girls. The workshop was designed to address the unique challenges faced by the MENA region, including deep-rooted cultural and structural barriers, and provided practical tools to ensure gender equity and inclusion in IOM programming. 

“In the MENA context, the challenges are immense, but the commitment we have seen from our focal points demonstrates that change is possible,” said Deputy Regional Director for Operations of IOM’s MENA Regional Office, Asmara Lua Achcar. “Through collaboration, we can ensure that gender considerations are at the heart of our work, both within IOM and in the communities we serve. The discussions here in Cairo are an important step toward creating meaningful, lasting change.” 

Gender Focal Points in MENA play a critical role in advocating for gender equality, raising awareness of IOM’s Gender Equality Policy, and promoting respectful workplace environments. This workshop provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences from their respective missions, fostering a collective understanding of the region’s dynamics and building a network of gender advocates committed to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in IOM’s work.  

Participants discussed strategies to address gender disparities, strengthen gender mainstreaming approaches in IOM’s programmes based on gender analyses, and integrate intersectional approaches into programme design and implementation. The training emphasized the need to recognize how gender and intersectionality shape migration experiences and migrants’ needs, analyze power dynamics, and develop inclusive policies that minimize harm.  

Gender Focal Points in MENA will play a vital role in ensuring that gender considerations are central to IOM’s interventions, from responding to displacement crises to fostering resilience and inclusion in the communities it serves. The participants also explored ways to support gender parity within IOM missions and promote respectful workplace environments. 

The workshop concluded with the development of concrete action points to promote gender mainstreaming and inclusive practices across the region, ensuring that the knowledge gained gets cascaded within IOM missions and translates into meaningful change on the ground.  

For more information, please contact: 

In Cairo: Joe Lowry, jlowry@iom.int