PRESS RELEASE
May 6, 2026
Media Contact:
Roula Seghaier [seghaier.roula@womeninmigration.org]
Tsedenya (Tina) Girmay [info@womeninmigration.org]
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Civil Society Calls for Rights-Based and Gender-Responsive Migration Governance at IMRF 2026
New York — As governments convene at the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), the Women in Migration Network (WIMN), with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), will present the Spotlight Report on Global Migration (SRGM), calling for the rights-based, migrant-centered, and gender-responsive implementation of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).
The Spotlight Report will be presented at 1:00 pm tomorrow, May 7, at the Church Center of the United Nations during IMRF. Event speakers include civil society leaders, UN Women, and representatives of the Permanent Missions of Brazil, Mexico, and Portugal.
The Spotlight Report reinforces calls for governments to uphold their commitments and advance gender-responsive migration governance. In particular, the SRGM articulates perspectives and priorities of grassroots organizations, activists, and migrant communities across regions, highlighting key gaps in current migration governance and outlining actionable recommendations to strengthen accountability and inclusion.
“Unfair migration policies impact not only migrants but all of society,” said Roula Seghaier, International Coordinator of WIMN. “Failures, risks, structural barriers, governance, and malgovernance in countries of origin, transit, and destination do not reflect the full picture, but only parts of it.” Seghaier stressed the need to examine broader global histories, colonial legacies, and structural inequalities, adding, “We cannot afford to work in silos.”
Carol Barton, who contributed the Overview to the Spotlight Report, warned that, “Some states at the UN IMRF are using the language of human rights and gender responsiveness within the GCM to justify detention, criminalization, and migrant expulsions.” She added, “With the Spotlight Report, we are projecting the lived realities of migrants and the steps that must be taken to realize rights –particularly through rights-based pathways and regularization.”
The event will open discussion on ensuring the meaningful participation of migrant women in decision-making processes, addressing structural inequalities within migration systems, and strengthening accountability in the implementation of the GCM.
Read the Spotlight Report: https://www.womeninmigration.org/spotlightreport/
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Notes to Editors:
The International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) is the primary global platform to review progress on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). The Women in Migration Network (WIMN) is a global network of organizations working to advance the rights of migrant women.
