Ashgabat - On October 6, 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - the United Nations Agency for Migration, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan, organized a national seminar on gender-sensitive migration data collection and analysis methods.

This seminar was organized within the framework of the project “Building National Capacity in the Collection, Analysis and Use of Migration Statistics in the Preparation of National Development Plans in Turkmenistan”, sponsored by the IOM Development Fund.

The purpose of the workshop was to promote evidence-based policymaking, with a focus on the link between migration, development and gender. This approach facilitates the production, analysis and use of migration data to better mainstream gender in policy and management. The preparation and collection of high-quality data on migration, disaggregated by sex and gender and covering migrants of all genders, and the use of such data for the development and improvement of migration policy will not only ensure that gender aspects are taken into account in the processing of migration data and the development of migration policy (including at the legislative level), but also enable relevant authorities to harness the potential of all genders for development. This dynamic and gender-responsive interaction of migration data helps to accelerate the delivery of national development results. This goal will be achieved by assisting the Government of Turkmenistan in effectively mainstreaming a gender perspective in data collection on migration and building capacity in data analysis, as well as ensuring data security and compliance with data protection principles.

This seminar was attended by representatives of the ministries and departments of Turkmenistan that collect data on migration, including the State Migration Service, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the State Committee on Statistics, the Ministry of Education, the Institute of State, Law and Democracy, and Parliament (Majlis). The workshop included presentations by the head of the IOM mission in Ashgabat - Azat Atajanov, IOM consultants on gender and migration - Margarita Khegay and Dmitry Poletaev; IOM Regional Office in Vienna - Van Asch Lauranne Simon; Center for Analysis of Global Migration Data, Migration Data and Policy Specialist - Elisa Mosler Vidal and Analyst - Guallar Arino Estefania; and Migration Research Division - Rojas Coppari Pablo.

During the seminar, the participants touched upon such topics as key global migration trends, data disaggregation and sustainable development, discussed aspects of gender and migration data, got acquainted with the manual on gender-sensitive migration management and the IOM gender matrix, and presentations were also made on gender and migration aspects in the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the 2030 Agenda. National partners noted the importance of this workshop and commented that the knowledge and skills gained will be applied in migration policy to achieve national priorities and fulfill international obligations, including the 2030 Agenda and GCM reporting. IOM Consultant - Margarita Khegay emphasized that such workshops could help strengthen national capacity to collect and analyze indicators and develop national migration strategies in Turkmenistan, integrating gender-sensitive migration data into development plans.

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For additional questions, please contact:

Dovlet Chariyev

IOM Communication Focal Point

E-mail: dchariyev@iom.int

Tel:+99312 488407