Just reiterating what June Kane said earlier.  Yes, gender is not the only dimension to the problem.  In fact the issue of internal migration tends to hit boys harder in that they are socialised to earn a living and become a breadwinner at an earlier age than boys - often the case in Sri Lanka where more girls (with the exception of a few in selected communities) stay in school for a longer period of time.  Boys are sent out and leave home to 'greener pastures' to seek work in the construction industry for example.  Similarly, in the case of sexual abuse and exploitation - there are more beach boys in Sri Lanka that need our attention.  Vulnerability of plantation youth and children is another case in point - whether girls or boys they are prone to be sent out to work in urban areas, It is more attributable to the fact that traditionally domestic workers were brought in from the plantations to supplement family incomes of their parents.......despite improved working conditions now, this tradition perpetuates their vulnerability.  Yes June, it is more complex than it looks though there are strong gender dimensions to migration.  Great hearing from you again. 

Shyama - ILO Sri Lanka, National Project Officer, Youth Employment

HI Shyama and other friends:

Absolutely, understanding gender dimensions is vital and migration is an area where too often we just hear about 'migrants' as though they were one homogeneous blob!  I do think, though, that if we are truly to get to the nitty-gritty of vulnerability and indeed both the problems and the solutions that we are dealing with, we need to think more in terms of inter-relations among multiple factors such as gender, age, family profile etc. 

I think this was sort of the impetus behind so much donor-driven talk of 'cross-cutting gender issues' which has too often meant that we don't really focus on gender but just mention it occasionally here and there (!)  What it should really mean is that gender is ALWAYS an issue, but it needs to be worked into the mix, not just looked at separately. Does that make sense?

June