Mainstreaming Migrant Rights for Gender Equality: Lessons from Lisbon and Barcelona

Mainstreaming, a governance strategy based on coordination between government levels and the involvement of various policy sectors and actors (including institutional, private and civil society), is often adopted by local governments in different policy realms, including in managing migration and integration at the local level. Overall, mainstreaming migrant integration has the potential to enhance migrants´ rights and can be a significant force in achieving gender equality. Given the challenges and dynamics posed by the feminisation of migration, city leaders can contribute to promote migrants´ rights and gender equality by including migrants – and migrant women – in policy making, taking into account local contexts and challenges, even when these are part of national and international dynamics.

This policy brief is a result of the ICLD Local Democracy Academy 2020