Gender and SSR Toolkit: Border Management and Gender: Tool 6

Effectively managed borders ensure the unhampered flow of persons, goods and services, which contributes to economic growth and human security. Robust prevention, detection and investigation by border services deter criminal activity, while international efforts to address cross-border crime strengthen regional collaboration.

This tool focuses on border management reform and the different ways in which border transactions impact the lives of women, men, boys and girls. It encompasses the various border control functions – customs, immigration and law enforcement – and demonstrates the operational benefits of ensuring that gender perspectives are included in border management policies, procedures and practices.

The tool is designed to provide a basic introduction to border management and gender issues for the staff of national governments (including donor countries), as well as for international and regional organisations (such as the UN, OSCE, IOM and EU), responsible for the development of border management policy and programming. Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, academics and researchers working on border management and/or gender issues will also find it useful.