On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March) we call attention to the many thousands of women in Ghana who have migrated from their rural homes in search of jobs in urban areas to support themselves and their families.

“Recalling the commitments in the Beijing Platform, the international community must continue to introduce measures that protect migrant and displaced women from violence and exploitation, facilitate productive employment in all sectors of the labour force, and recognize the skills, credentials and education of migrant women,” says IOM Director General William Lacy Swing.

The increasing trend of migration to cities requires the development of strong gender-sensitive policies to deal with the challenges of rapid urbanization, including the profound implications it has for family structures and unequal consequences for women and men.

Over the last 30 years the portion of the Ghanaian population (24 million) living in urban areas has grown from 30 per cent to over 50 percent. This includes the sustained migration of women from rural northern areas to urban centres.

“Increasing numbers of young girls are traveling from rural to urban centres without the support of families and friends, leaving themselves vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. We must act now to ensure these migrants are protected from harm and are able to realise their human rights,” urges Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, IOM Ghana Chief of Mission.

Just take a trip to the main market place in Accra, Ghana and it quickly becomes evident that young women are the driving forces of the portering trade. The kayaye (female head porter) walk quickly from stall to stall laden with heavy loads of fruits and vegetables, other food stuff and a rainbow assortment of packages.

Most of these young women, having no alternative, migrate from northern Ghana, the most poverty stricken part of the country. Kayaye typically start working as adolescent girls, some as young as seven years old, and they ferry items for as little as GHS 5 or just over USD 1 per day.

According to one local Kayaye, life for a head porter “is not easy.” The women work from 2am to 8am and then again in the afternoon during the peak market transport times. They can be cheated by vendors and face harassment from those in the market place who consider them as second-class citizens.Access to food and shelter is a daily struggle for most Kayaye who are forced to sleep in shared rooms with as many as 12 girls or in the open on cardboard. Safety is a constant concern with the very real possibility of rape and robbery.

Migration can empower women in search of new opportunities and a better life for themselves and their families. The income-generating opportunities, access to education and economic independence found through migration all serve to empower women.

The time is now to support the migrant women of Ghana, through comprehensive gender sensitive policies that address their needs at all stages of migration.

For information about IOM Ghana programmes please contact us at iomaccra@iom.int.