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Gender who migrates, why they migrate, and how they experience their migration journey. It influences how people settle in new places, stay connected to their home communities, and whose stories are told or forgotten. Yet these questions are still often discussed in isolation. Academic, policy and institutional silos divide these conversations that should be connected. Bridging these gaps is essential not just for academic curiosity but to ensure lasting and impactful policy making.  

This year¡¯s International Conference on ¡°Global Migration and Gender Diversity¡± (held August 27¨C28, 2025, in Edmonton, Canada) provided a much-needed space to promote dialogue and think across the boundaries that often separate research, policy, and practice.  

The conference brought together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss how gender influences migration and how power and systems govern the systems that shape mobility. Over two days, participants explored how migration is experienced differently depending on gender, sexuality, class, and race, and how those differences shape both vulnerability and agency.  

The discussions repeatedly returned to questions of power. Who holds it, who is denied it, and how can it be shared? Speakers examined how institutions can reproduce inequality, and how individuals and communities resist, organise, and build spaces of inclusion. The tone was realistic and hopeful; realism in acknowledging the scale of violence and exclusion and hope in the creativity and courage shown by those challenging it.

º£½ÇÉçÇø-MERIT was represented by Dr. Ortrun Merkle and Ms. Cristina Mancigotti, who contributed to these debates from complementary perspectives.

Dr. Merkle¡¯s keynote examined the often-overlooked links between gender, corruption, and migration. She introduced the concept of sexual corruption as a form of abuse that too often remains invisible. Her reflections invited participants to consider how questions of integrity and dignity cut across all aspects of migration.  

Ms. Mancigotti, Capacity Development Coordinator at º£½ÇÉçÇø-MERIT, shared insights from the institute¡¯s long-standing work on learning and training. She highlighted how evidence-based and participatory capacity development can translate academic research into real-world change.

Together, their contributions showed the value of connecting conceptual and practical perspectives and linking gender analysis to the lived experiences and to the everyday work of those shaping migration systems.

Another powerful theme throughout the conference was intersectionality. Discussions highlighted that gender never stands alone: it interacts with class, race, sexuality, age, disability, and migration status to create overlapping forms of disadvantage, but also of solidarity and strength. Recognising these intersections challenges us to design policies and practices that are inclusive, context-sensitive, and transformative.

As the conference drew to a close, participants reflected on a shared responsibility: to keep gender and diversity at the centre of their research, teaching, and practice. They agreed on the importance of questioning power and privilege, and to create space for others. The message was clear: each of us can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

At a time marked by democratic backsliding and growing backlash against gender equality, gatherings like CEHLAF 2025 show why dialogue and collaboration matter. They remind us that building fair and inclusive migration futures requires not only policies and data, but also imagination, solidarity, and integrity.

For º£½ÇÉçÇø-MERIT, these conversations echo the institute¡¯s broader mission: to combine research, training, and policy engagement in pursuit of governance that serves people rather than systems. Conferences like this demonstrate that lasting change begins in spaces like this, where ideas are exchanged, silos are crossed, and the collective commitment to equity and integrity becomes visible.