Migration has many faces. It affects those who leave and those who stay. Girls and young women are particularly at risk of falling into exploitative circumstances and experiencing gender-specific violence. So it takes courage to leave, but it also takes courage to stay. The new campaign Life instead of flight by terre des hommes schweiz is dedicated to this courage.
Countless children and young people around the world are migrating without parents or adult company. This is why the partner organisations of terre des hommes Switzerland are confronted with the topic of migration in many different ways in the project countries. They are contact points that support young people on their way and give them the courage to go or stay and bring about change.
Campaign for more courage - for a life instead of flight
Our new campaign focuses on the subject of courage, in particular, and is based on life instead of flight. On our campaign site we draw attention to this courage and show that everyone needs encouragement in life. For this purpose we are looking for encouraging stories. Some celebrities, such as Susanne Kunz, Jacqueline Fehr or the rapper Manillio, have already shared their stories of courage and have become encouragers.
Read for yourself who has encouraged these people in their lives and become an encourager yourself.
At home, on the road or at their destination: it is dangerous for young women everywhere
Whether on the American continent, in Africa or in Switzerland, the young migrants in the overflowing reception camps have all experienced an odyssey of violence, poverty and often death. Migrants are generally already a vulnerable group. The younger they are, the more vulnerable they are.
Apart from the dangers in their homeland, they are even more at risk of being sexually exploited and mistreated while travelling. For migrant women travelling through Central America to the USA, the risk of being raped is so high that some women get contraceptive injections to at least avoid getting pregnant.
Once they arrive at their destination, the first period is the most dangerous for the young migrant women, because they are often there all alone. They are looking for connection and orientation and are thus easy prey for exploitation and abuse. A study has shown that working young migrant women earn less than their male colleagues and have longer working days.
Strengthen, prepare or create alternatives to migration
The partner organisations of terre des hommes schweiz use a variety of approaches to address the various effects of migration on girls and young women. They devote particular attention to developing the practical and social skills of those affected, because self-confident young women are better prepared for the challenges of migration and are better able to protect themselves.
Some partner organisations, e.g. ACISAM in El Salvador, also provide information and education about the dangers of migration. The young people should know what to expect so that they can either prepare themselves or decide against emigration. With economic initiatives for young people, some partners create the basis for ensuring that young people do not have to migrate.
