Gender Experts from various government ministries, departments and institutions based in Seychelles participated in a high-level technical assistance workshop on Migration Statistics focusing on Gender Mainstreaming. The workshop held 25 – 28 November 2025 was hosted by COMESA Secretariat and sponsored by Statistics Sweden.

In his remarks to open the workshop, Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Kevin Bistoquet, underscored the importance of strengthening migration statistics and integrating gender perspectives to align with regional and global standards.

He noted that the workshop would strengthen national coordination through the establishment of a Technical Working Group on Migration Statistics, enhance knowledge of migration concepts and methodologies and develop a roadmap for improved data production and dissemination. Participants were encouraged to actively engage, collaborate and contribute to building an inclusive and efficient statistical system capable of supporting Seychelles’ long-term development priorities.

Mrs. Tsige Biyazen, Senior Gender Mainstreaming Officer, emphasized the importance of the workshop which aligns with the regional agenda for the Free Movement of Persons, trade and development. She expressed appreciation to the Government of Seychelles for providing an ideal setting to advance gender-responsive migration statistics and acknowledged the strong support of partner institutions, including IOM, Statistics Sweden and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

During the workshop, COMESA’s commitment to mainstreaming gender across all sectors through its Gender Policy Framework, Implementation Plan and supporting guidelines, was highlighted with emphasis that gender equality and evidence-based policymaking require timely, accurate and disaggregated data.

The workshop strengthened Seychelles’ capacity to produce, harmonize and analyze migration statistics in accordance with international standards, while integrating gender considerations and enhancing coordination through a National Technical Working Group.

Partner organisations that participated in the workshop included the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Statistics Norway, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius & Seychelles, the Zambia National Statistics Office (ZamStats) and COMESA Secretariat.