Globalization, Human Rights & Security

Worldwide, there are more than 190 million migrants living outside their countries of origin, nearly half of them women. Women may migrate out of choice but they are usually driven by necessity: poverty, conflict, domestic violence, natural disaster or oppressive political or cultural conditions. In North America, immigrant women have outnumbered immigrant men since 1930, yet their progress in education, income and status has lagged and policymakers have often overlooked their unique challenges and contributions. For instance, although they occupy lower-wage jobs, immigrant women send a much higher proportion of their earnings to their home countries than do immigrant men. Compared to non-immigrant women, immigrant women face higher rates of unemployment and are much more likely to live in poverty and suffer abuse or discrimination.