The Politicisation of Women and Gender in Migration Research, Policy and Practice

Gender and migration studies represent a crucial and evolving field intersecting social science, policy analysis, and advocacy. Despite advances in academic research highlighting the need for nuanced understandings of gender in migration, policy and practice frequently fail to integrate these insights. In recent years, resurgent conservative attitudes - rooted in both Christian and Islamic traditions - have made it increasingly difficult for evidence-based gender perspectives to influence policy. These trends often reject intersectionality and reduce migrant experiences to binary categories of “women” and “men,” overlooking the rich, diverse gendered identities that shape migrant journeys and needs. This disconnect persists against a backdrop of tightening migration controls, shrinking opportunities for safe passage, and growing hostility toward migrants, even as conflict, repression, and climate change intensify migration flows worldwide.This Research Topic aims to interrogate the ongoing gap between research, policy, and practice regarding women and gender in migration. The primary objectives are to examine the persistence of gender biases and limitations within current migration regimes, understand how politicized notions of tradition and patriarchy influence policy, and extract actionable lessons from research that can improve conditions and opportunities for diverse migrant groups. Key questions include: How do policies ignore or flatten the complexity of gendered migrant experience? How might traditionalist policy shifts impact women and gender-diverse migrants? What strategies can bridge research and practice to challenge exclusionary trends? What role can affected communities play in resistance and advocacy? The topic also seeks to chart the future direction of gender-focused migration research amid changing global landscapes.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses empirical and theoretical studies, with a special emphasis on contributions from lived migrant experience and on regions with significant migration histories. Submissions may address the following themes:• the conceptual and practical limitations of “women” and “gender” categories in migration governance• the impact of conservative, patriarchal policy on gendered migration experiences• intersectionality and the invisibility of gender-diverse migrant voices• lessons from research for improving migrant policy and practice• advocacy, activism, and strategies for inclusive migration futures• regional case studies, especially from Turkey, Iraq, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Gulf States.Empirical (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method) and theoretical contributions are welcomed. Submissions from migrants and those with direct experience are strongly encouraged. Topic editors: EMEL COŞKUN, Lucy Williams Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79786/the-politicisation-of-women-and-gender-in-migration-research-policy-and-practice