2017•11•23

UNU-GCM has today signed a funding agreement with the Government of Chihuahua represented by the Institute of Women of the Government of Chihuahua. The Agreement is for the UNU-GCM project Migration, Gender and the Future of Maquila work in the Northern border of Chihuahua, Mexico. The two-year research project will commence in January 2018.

According to Senior UNU-GCM Researcher Dr. Francisco Cos-Montiel, “As automation and technology transform industries in Chihuahua, UNU-GCM’s project will help prevent thousands of workers – many of whom are women and migrants – from losing their jobs in the future.”

In the coming years, the world will experience unprecedented changes in technological advances, life expectancy, climate change, population growth and urbanization. These changes, in particular with reference to technological advances, will afford new opportunities but also create new socio-economic gaps. The magnitude of this change is illustrated by the World Economic Forum estimation (2016) that 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in types of jobs that do not yet exist.

In a rapidly evolving landscape, the state’s ability to anticipate and prepare for future needs is crucial. This research project will therefore explore policy options designed to meet future challenges connected to migration and the maquila – where factories import certain goods on a duty and tariff free basis for assembly, processing or manufacturing and then export the products – carried out in Chihuahua. Chihuahua is situated closely to the US border and is the site for a large South to North migrant flow. A particular focus of the project will be on the situation of women and girls.