IOM International Organization for Migration

UN Entity Layer: 
Specialised Agencies

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental agency operating on migration issues. It was established in 1951 and works in partnership with the United Nations on a broad range of migration-related issues. IOM is committed to institutionalizing and mainstreaming gender in all areas of its work and to ensuring that gender issues are an integral part of IOM's planning and actions.

Working Group on Gender Issues

Established in 1995 to evaluate and assist in institutionalizing IOM's efforts to mainstream gender into IOM's planning and actions, the Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI) has been instrumental in formulating IOM's gender policy, its mainstreaming strategy and a five-year plan of action.

In line with United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), IOM adopted a gender-sensitive approach to Demobilization, Disarmament and Re-integration (DDR) activities and to Security Sector Reform (SSR) programming. In recognizing the impact of armed conflict on women, IOM takes effective measures to guarantee their protection in the framework of emergency and post-crisis operations as well as to facilitate their full participation in peacebuilding processes. Within this framework, a Reparation Project for the victims of war in Sierra Leone has been implemented recently with the objective of providing skills trainings, psychological and livelihood support to women victims of sexual violence, war widows and bush wives.

As a partner with the UN, IOM was one of the 32 UN entities that prepared a 2008-2009 action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security. In the Action Plan, IOM presents examples including an initiative to introduce gender mainstreaming in DDR programmes.

Source: IOM

Contact Information

For more information, please visit IOM's official website here.