Dealing with impact of migration on families

Daily Graphic (pg 11), Sat. May 15/10

Article: Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
TODAY, Saturday, May 15, is being observed globally as the International Day of the Family on the theme “The impact of migration on families around the world”.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed the year 1994 as the International Year of Families through the UN Resolution A/RES/47/237 of 1993 and since 1995, May 15 has been celebrated as Families Day, with the aim of promoting national and international awareness of issues relating to families, described as the essential units of society. It is also to strengthen public efforts for supporting families who are confronted with fundamental changes in economic, social and cultural terms.
The day, proclaimed in response to changing social and economic structures which have affected and still affect the structure and stability of family units globally, is used to highlight the importance of families with the aim of fostering equality to bring about a fuller sharing of domestic responsibilities and employment opportunities. It is also to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world.
Programmes undertaken to commemorate the day in various countries work towards supporting families in the discharge of their functions. They tend to promote the inherent strengths of families, including their great capacity of self-reliance, and stimulate self-sustaining activities. The protection of the family by society and the State is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Supporting families, providing social protection and furthering social integration through the strengthening of inter-generational solidarity are all important facets and objectives of social policy and social development.
According to the UN, the family constitutes the basic unit of society, hence the widest possible protection and assistance should be accorded families so that they fully assume their responsibilities within the community in line with the provisions of the UDHR, the Declaration on Social Progress and Development and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The family is the agency that teaches the growing generation various traditions. It teaches the individual what situations to anticipate, how to behave and what behaviour to expect, by giving one the gifts of language and dress, which are part of one’s cultural ethos.
The family set-up plays an important role in the transmission of cultural traditions from one generation to another. It also acts as an educative unit and a socio-cultural agency. The importance of this role lies in the fact that children all over the world get their earliest instruction in the family, beginning with language.
A report on the follow-up to the 10th anniversary of the International Year of the Family by the Secretary- General of the UN in 2009 stated that many developing countries were affected by displacement and migration, which have very visible impacts on families. It said displacement was usually driven by distress.
Humanitarian crises and natural disasters are increasing and conflicts are becoming more protracted, resulting in large numbers of internal and cross-border displaced persons and refugees.
Also the report said migration in search of work was becoming a way of life, with close to 200 million international migrants recorded globally, saying that the number would be much higher if internal migrants were included.
The report, however, stated that whether there is displacement or migration, either of individual family members or of the whole family unit, there can be significant psychological impacts and social costs resulting from the separation of family members. In some countries, significant numbers of children live without one or both parents, who are working abroad.
In Ghana, it is estimated that over 50 per cent of the population suffer internal migration. This is primarily from the north to south, with in-migrants representing over 40 per cent of the population in the Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo and Western regions.
Most of these migrants are young people, especially young girls from the northern part of the country who end up doing menial jobs such as carrying loads in the market. These girls are referred to as ‘Kayayei’ . Others, including children, engage in exploitative labour such cracking of stone at quarry sites.
Most of these migrants, who lack the basic necessities of life, including shelter, are exploited and abused sexually in violation of their human rights. They are exposed to harsh conditions of life with no access to education, proper health care nor sanitation facilities and also become vulnerable to diseases such as HIV and AIDS.
One can also talk about the migration of many Ghanaians, including both professionals such as teachers, lawyers, doctors, administrators and artisans, as well as nonprofessionals such as school drop-outs, who migrate to European countries and the United States of America (USA) in search of greener pastures.
Many observers have expressed concern that mass emigration has depleted the country of the much needed human capital. While skilled professionals have been leaving Ghana since independence, the numbers have continued to increase.
Statistics indicate that between 1975 and 1981, Ghana lost approximately 14,000 teachers trained in its institutions. Also high percentages of Ghana-trained health care professionals have opted to leave the country in search of work abroad since 1995.
Despite the negative impact of external migration on the country, the Central Bank of Ghana estimated that US$1.2 billion in remittances flowed into the country in 2004. Analysts believe this represents approximately half of the total flows of money remitted through informal channels.
Many of these migrants are sometimes successful in their quest while others also struggle to survive, with women especially forced to engage in prostitution or other forms of inhuman acts to survive.
When men migrate leaving their wives, mothers and sisters behind to care for their children, the women play a central role in maintaining family cohesion. They provide economic support, contribute to child upbringing and provide essential care to the family. They keep their families together, provide care for those who are sick, play a key role in securing food and are, in general, the backbone of socio-economic activities.
The impact of migration on the family has resulted in significant changes to families. These include increases in social vices, child exploitation, female-headed households and non-residential fatherhood, but it behoves all those who cherish peace to hold the family dear to their hearts and avoid things that impede the progress of the family.
A statement released and signed by the Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah to mark the day, stated that due to socio-economic pressures, people leave their families and migrate to other countries in search of better opportunities to improve upon their lives and that of their children and other extended family members back home.
It said although migrants may help to improve upon the lives of individuals and their families in many ways, they also present great hazards and hardships to individuals and their families, especially women and their children.
According to the statement, family members do not only provide material support for each other, but emotional support as well, adding that, migration brings about separation among family members and the migration of a parent, particularly the mother, could affect the education, health and overall development of young children left back at home.
It said research has shown that the absence of migrant parents may lead to many forms of psychological deprivation for young children which may in turn lead to psychological challenges including deviant behavior among children.
It said unemployment, low wages, discrimination and other socio-economic conditions can expose migrants to social problems such as robbery, prostitution, and drug abuse, and pointed out that migrant children in such situations become vulnerable to streetism, child labour, human trafficking and other forms of violence.
“As Ghana joins the rest of the world to observe this year's International Day of Families, MOWAC wishes to draw attention to these aspects of migration and how it has impacted negatively on the survival and maintenance of healthy family units and ultimately healthy societies.
“We take this opportunity to call on migrant parents and prospective migrants to take keen interest in the welfare and development of their young children back home. They should maintain a strong and influential presence in their children's lives regardless of the distance and ensure that their children are left in the care of reliable and trustworthy family members who would be able to provide the necessary emotional and psychological direction needed for the proper growth and development of the children” it said.
The statement called on all families in Ghana to use the occasion to foster peace and unity among themselves, stressing that cohesion at the family level will translate to national cohesion and unity.