Migrant Women Research Articles

Exploring the Health Impact of Intersectional Minority Identity Stressors on Arab Sexual Minority Women Migrants to the United States.

Using an intersectionality lens and the minority stress theory as our theoretical grounding, this qualitative study is the first to examine the mental health of Arab sexual minority women (SMW) migrants to the United States. The study aimed to (1) explore the perceptions and experiences of intersectional minority identity-related life stressors and (2) discern their impact on the mental health of first-generation Arab SMW migrants. From December 2022 to March 2023, we conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with Arab SMW migrants. Guided by principles of community engagement in research, four community advisors, including three Arab SMW migrants and a mental health service provider, assisted in mock interviews, recruitment, and data analysis. This enriched our thematic analysis providing a nuanced understanding of Arab SMW migrant experiences. Participants reflected diverse nationalities, socioeconomic statuses, and religions and identified as lesbian, bisexual, or queer. Our sample included asylum seekers, documented migrants, and non-binary individuals (assigned female at birth). Findings revealed three major themes: (1) Community- and Interpersonal-Level Stressors, (2) Strategies for Coping with Stressors, and (3) Impact of Intersectional Life Stressors on Mental Health. Community- and interpersonal-level stressors included challenges navigating migration-related stressors, rejection and discrimination from the Arab, queer, and dominant-group (i.e., non-Arab, non-White) communities, and experiences of invalidation of their intersectional identities. Coping mechanisms included avoidance, identity concealment, and seeking social support. Participants reported various mental health impacts, from anxiety, depression to suicidal thoughts, emphasizing the urgency for tailored interventions. Participants called for the development of support groups specifically for Arab SMW migrants.

Women migrant workers’ (WMWS) deskilling

Women are key actresses in sending and receiving countries’ developments, and their contributions includes social and financial remittances, education and the transmission of social and cultural values (United Nations, 2006). Despite, women migrants’ undeniable contributions, they too often undergo deskilling, a process defined as the employment of workers in a different field or below their qualifications. The factors influencing deskilling include the lack of recognition of skills and qualifications, difficult access to information and employment opportunities, lack of support in the destination country and linguistic barriers. Migration can impact the social mobility of women migrants, yet not always positively (Nowicka, 2012). In the labour market, women migrants are generally disadvantaged because of occupational gender segregation, the lack of network support and childcare responsibilities (EU Commission, 2022), with higher risks of deskilling and downward social mobility. The objective of the brief is to shed light on WMWs’ deskilling and explore the impact of gender and ethnicity in labour segmentation, de-emancipation being a consequence of WMWs’ deskilling and overrepresentation in reproductive unskilled jobs.

Consent as Social Reproduction: Making Space for the Transformative Labour of Refugee and Migrant Anti-violence Advocates in Australia

ABSTRACT Following #MeToo, sexual violence and consent have become more important to Australian governments, policy makers, and organisations addressing gender-based violence. Locating consent in a specific social system of ‘labour’, this article takes social reproduction as an entry point to examine the experiences of refugee and migrant anti-violence advocates in Australia. I suggest that current discourses of consent, as bodily autonomy and judicial power, act as a site of social reproduction through the creation of norms that uphold patriarchy and whiteness. Considered in this way, marginalised groups such as refugee and migrant women are not afforded adequate space and resources to theorise consent based on their own lived experiences. Interview participants (n = 19) are active in their ethnic and faith communities addressing GBV, as well as in organisations such as NGOs and policy domains. Utilising a lens of ‘Transformative Labour’ (Swanson, Resha Terae, and Erin Devorah Carreon. 2024. “Uncovering the Transformative Labor in Black Women’s Community Work.” Affilia, 08861099231223935. https://doi.org/10.1177/08861099231223935), the findings demonstrate the limits of consent when applied to refugee and migrant communities; the ways a history of different feminisms play out in current front-line interventions; and how mainstream, dominant groups might make space for marginalised groups to articulate their own identities, and the time and resources to theorise consent based on their own struggles.

Workplace harassment faced by female Nepalese migrants working aboard

BackgroundNepal has a long history of labour migration over the years. Migrants can experience a range of problems in their destination countries, and women are more at risk than men. This paper is the first to explore the problems faced by Nepalese women migrants while working abroad. MethodsThis study was conducted among 1,889 women who were registered as migrant returnees at an organisation called Pourakhi Nepal. The study extracted and analysed data from a non-governmental organisation that supports returning female migrant workers in Nepal. ResultsAround half (43.1%) of the women were 35 or older, 30.9% were illiterate, and 63.6% were in their first overseas job. More than one-third (38.5%) had self-reported workplace harassment. Physical violence was the most prevalent (68%), followed by verbal abuse (37.5%), mental stress (29.7%), and sexual abuse (14.1%).Women who were illiterate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.55), unmarried (AOR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.56), worked abroad twice or more (AOR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.66), changed their place of work (AOR 2.38, 95% CI: 1.42 to 4.01), lived without documents (AOR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.50), worked as domestics (AOR 3.56, 95% CI: 2.03 to 6.23), worked in other than Gulf Cooperation Council countries (AOR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.99), women who did not have a fixed salary (AOR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.10) and did not receive salary (AOR 3.71, 95% CI: 2.88 to 4.77) were more likely to be harassed at work. ConclusionOur findings suggest that the host governments should introduce and enforce policies protecting women in the workplace. Migrant women should be provided with better information about health risks and hazards as well as how to improve preventive measures in destination countries to reduce workplace harassment.

Women Workers’ Initiatives in the Field of the Social and Solidarity as a Space for Transforming the Domestic Care System: Potential and Challenges in the Ibero-American Sphere

A just socio-ecological transition calls for a transformation of the care system that ensures the sustainability of human life. This process involves recognising and revaluing unpaid care work it also means improving working conditions in this sector, characterised by the overwhelming contribution of women, including many migrant women, in global care chains. This paper analyses the opportunities and limitations of the social and solidarity economy in this transformation. Using the multi-level perspective on change as a framework and a methodology that combines an innovative collaborative workshop with 54 stakeholders in the Spanish context with interviews with leaders of care cooperatives in Honduras, Uruguay and Spain, transformative strategies for revaluing these essential services and addressing the structural challenges they face are identified.

Maternal birthplace and experiences of perinatal healthcare in Belgium: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundPatient experience is an important part of perinatal care quality. Migrant women in high-income countries often report more negative experiences than non-migrants, but evidence in Europe is patchy. In this study, we compared the experiences of two migrant populations with non-migrants, taking into account socioeconomic characteristics. MethodsWe surveyed mothers born in Belgium, North-Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa (n = 877) using an adapted version of the Migrant-Friendly Maternity Care Questionnaire. Two patient experience scores were created using multiple correspondence analyses: a) information and communication with healthcare professionals and overall satisfaction with pregnancy care, and b) patient-centred aspects and satisfaction with delivery care. Through descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regressions we estimated the associations of maternal characteristics with each score. ResultsOverall, positive experiences were reported in terms of communication (83 %) and patient-centred care (86 %). North African immigrants with low language proficiency had higher odds of negative communication experience (especially problems understanding information) (ORa: 2.30, 95 %CI 1.17–4.50), regardless of socioeconomic position. Among women with language barriers, 88 % were never offered a professional interpreter, relying on family members for translation. Patient-centred care was not associated with maternal birth region but was rated more negatively by older mothers, those with longer residence in Belgium, and higher majority-language proficiency. ConclusionIn Belgium, perinatal care experiences were generally positive, although communication with immigrants was suboptimal. Language barriers, single motherhood, and unstable housing increased communication issues. Our findings underline the necessity to improve information-exchange with immigrants and socioeconomically vulnerable women.

Myanmar immigrant women’s perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors with nutrition and food practices during pregnancy in Thailand: a qualitative study

BackgroundAlthough nutrition is an essential contributor to the quality of pregnancy outcomes, little is known about the experiences and influences affecting dietary behaviors during pregnancy among migrant women, particularly those from Myanmar, the largest immigrant population in Thailand. To fill this gap, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study to explore Myanmar immigrant women’s perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors concerning nutrition and food practices during pregnancy.MethodsWe conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with fifty Myanmar immigrant pregnant women aged 18–45 years across all trimesters, who were recruited using purposive sampling from a public tertiary hospital. The FGDs were conducted in Thai or Myanmar using semi-structured guides that probed women’s pregnancy perceptions and experiences about nutrition and food patterns during pregnancy. The FGDs were audio-recorded, translated, and transcribed. Direct content analysis was used to guide the analysis through an ecological perspective framework.ResultsThe seven FGDs with fifty women revealed four major themes involving perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors. The qualitative results consisted of (1) a positive attitude toward better changes under difficult conditions (setting goals for infant health; uncertainty about changes); (2) beliefs about eating patterns and dietary practices during pregnancy (taboos aimed at protecting women’s health and ensuring safe childbirth; taboos aimed at guaranteeing infant safety); (3) limited access to appropriate information about nutrition (unclear dietary information from healthcare providers; ease of learning from experiences in informal social networks); and (4) difficult living conditions in a non-native setting (work-related influences on dietary behaviors; lack of comprehensible language to gain food literacy). In addition, the results were highlighted across four levels of ecological perspectives.ConclusionsImmigrant pregnant women are a vulnerable population that should be treated with equity to ensure quality of life through optimal nutrition throughout pregnancy. Respectful care requires that healthcare providers develop culturally sensitive nutrition interventions to increase nutrition literacy, accessibility, and pregnancy outcomes.

Histopathological analysis of fuel burns in deceased migrants.

What we mean when we talk about ‘fuel burns’? This pathological condition related to the tragic travel conditions experienced by migrants has not been previously reported in the literature. We encountered this condition in two deceased migrant women in Central Mediterranean Sea, and we were able to describe it histologically.

‘You would never pick up the thread from where you left off’: Older Irish women migrants' narratives of non‐return, post‐retirement

‘You would never pick up the thread from where you left off’: Older Irish women migrants' narratives of non‐return, post‐retirement

Inequality in financial risk protection in health among displaced populations: The case of Venezuelan women in Brazil

ObjectiveWorsening economic and social conditions in Venezuela have forced many to migrate. Women and girls are particularly at risk of health vulnerability in this context. This study examines healthcare expenditure and financial risk protection inequalities among Venezuelan migrant women in Brazil. MethodsWe conducted a survey of 2012 Venezuelan women aged 15–49 who migrated to Brazil between 2018 and 2021. We estimated and decomposed concentration indices to analyse inequalities in out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures (OOPHE) and catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) across the entire socioeconomic distribution. We applied Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions to explain differences in healthcare spending between migrant and Brazilian women. ResultsVenezuelan migrant women displayed noticeable disparities in OOPHE and incidence of CHE. Approximately half of our sample of migrants reported no income, no expenditures, and hence no CHE. OOPHE and CHE incidence were concentrated among less poor migrant women, whilst for Brazilian women, CHE was concentrated among the poorer. Location, time since arrival to Brazil, higher education, and income were key contributors to socioeconomic inequality in OOPHE and CHE for migrants. The main explanatory factor for differences in OOPHE between migrants and non-migrants was differences in income profiles. ConclusionsAddressing financial risk protection in health is crucial for displaced populations, especially women and girls. While the public health system in Brazil offers universal healthcare coverage in principle, our results suggest that there is still a significant risk of lack of access to healthcare for Venezuelan migrant women, which may be driven by insufficient financial means.

Burmese migrant domestic workers’ foodwork and biopedagogies in pandemic Singapore

COVID-19 not only increased food insecurity across the globe but has also given rise to pandemic-induced “biopedagogies,” a concept premised on conflating health with instructions on the “bios,” including how to live healthily, what to eat, and how much. Based on 24 qualitative interviews with low-waged migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Singapore hailing from Myanmar, we explore how migrant women articulate and develop their own biopedagogical practices under pandemic-constrained circumstances. While live-in MDWs are invariably involved in preparing food for employers’ families as part of their care duties, and despite originating from historically food-producing regions, they are vulnerable to urban and cultural food insecurities at destination sites of migration given their diminished rights and subordinate positions in the household. Yet, these migrant women express agency in enacting counter-practices through their foodwork in at least two ways. First, MDWs cultivate self-care through cooking and consuming home foods during the pandemic and negotiating enough fortifying food for themselves while living in employers’ households. Secondly, through remittance-sending to left-behind families and children, they enact long-distance maternal carework through foodwork for health. We uncover how MDWs’ foodwork achieve a measure of food security despite language barriers, limited economic resources, lack of access to culturally appropriate foods at destination, and distance from their families. Experiencing vulnerability in terms of their occupational position, their plate, and the pandemic, this paper uncovers the stressors in achieving food security and health for themselves and families’ while working in Singapore.

The Expansion of Alternative Forms of Organizing Integration: Imitation, Bricolage, and an Ethic of Care in Migrant Women’s Cooperatives

The Expansion of Alternative Forms of Organizing Integration: Imitation, Bricolage, and an Ethic of Care in Migrant Women’s Cooperatives

Women Initiatives and Its Impact on Agro-Ecotourism Development in Rural Areas

In Indonesia, a new form of tourism called agro-ecotourism has emerged from rural agricultural activities. It holds great promise in conjunction with cultural and ecotourism. The participation of women in agro-ecotourism has had substantial impact on its development and socio-economic well-being. However, the societal expectations that limited women to the home have diminished their significance within it. This article analyzed the current status of agro-ecotourism in Sukowilangun village, Kalipare sub-district, Malang District, East Java. The focus was on identifying the factors that drove and hindered participation in tourism, with a particular emphasis on gender. This article also explored the role of local communities in the development of a gender-inclusive agro-ecotourism model. This study utilized a qualitative approach, incorporating in-depth interviews and Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) techniques. It was evident from the findings that, despite progress in the tourism sector, the current level of female involvement in tourism destinations remains unsatisfactory. It was discovered that Sukowilangun village has great potential for developing Agro-ecotourism centered around processed cassava. This initiative, led by The Perempuan Singkong, a collective of migrant women’s families, shows great promise as a source of income and a way to generate more community interest in tourism. Lastly, the development of a top-notch tourism destination necessitates the focus on three crucial aspects: establishment of proper institutions, investment in skilled personnel, and fostering women’s involvement. Through the promotion of gender equality and the inclusion of women in decision-making processes, tourism destinations foster a more diverse and inclusive environment that brings benefits to all. Keywords: Agro-ecotourism; Community-based; Institutionalization; Women- participation

Insights from the EQUALS4COVID19 study on migrant mental health in Portugal: a cross-sectional mixed-methods approach

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and related disruptive consequences in the economic, health, and educational sectors have impacted people’s lives, contributing to a context of increased economic and social vulnerability. The pandemic has revealed and accentuated social inequalities and discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin. This study aimed to contribute to the promotion of the mental health and well-being of migrant populations living in Portugal via the definition of an analytical framework and recommendations emerging from the EQUALS4COVID19 project.MethodsTo gather information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resilience determinants among immigrants, a mixed-methods approach was implemented in 2022, combining a cross-sectional survey targeting immigrant adults in Portugal, focus groups with immigrants, focus groups with healthcare professionals, and in-depth individual interviews with stakeholders involved in the implementation of measures related to mental health and well-being during the pandemic. The analysis followed an integrated framework; quantitative data informed the script of qualitative data collection methods, and qualitative analysis informed the reinterpretation of quantitative data.ResultsThe survey with 604 Brazilian and Cape Verdean immigrants revealed that gender (being a woman) was associated with both psychological distress and depression-related symptomatology and that the perception of discrimination was a major risk factor for psychological suffering, while perceived social support and individuals’ resilience characteristics were protective factors. Qualitative data provided deeper insights into these findings, revealing the ways mental health is affected by social structures, such as gender and ethnic hierarchies. Migrants tend to work in precarious jobs requiring physical presence, which, together with dense housing conditions, puts them at higher risk of infection. The deterioration of the economic conditions of the general population has also increased the perception of ethnic-racial discrimination, which was found to be related to the increase in insecurity and anxiety-related symptomatology among the migrant population. Newly arrived migrants, with reduced support networks, experienced a greater sense of insecurity as well as concern and anguish regarding relatives who live far away, in their home country. Migrant women reported greater family-related distress, including work-life balance problems.ConclusionsProposals to address mental health inequalities should be considered in the context of the necessary global changes both at the societal level and in the delivery of mental health services. Additionally, they should be considered with the active involvement of migrants, families, and communities in the design and delivery of mental health promotion and care processes.

Migrant South Asian Women in the Basque Country, Spain: Processes of Empowerment

This work describes the personal and social empowerment of migrant women from South Asia in the Basque Country 1 , Spain, through the life history method. Gender roles, cultural identity and the migratory process as a transformative instrument are discussed. Based on in-depth interviews, and individual and group analysis of life histories, the findings indicated that migration had a positive effect on women in terms of self-development. Clearly, migration was a tool for transformation and empowerment.

Dangerous Fieldwork: Reflections on Ethnographic Research with Irregular, Nigerian Streetwalkers and Madams in Spain

Recent calls have been made to investigate the lived experience of migrant sex workers, to broaden the scope and inclusivity of macro-level conceptualizations, and to develop contextually grounded forms of understanding. Our ethnographic study sought to explore the lived perspectives of an under-researched occupational group: migrant women working as irregular streetwalkers in a European city. Nineteen Nigerian Edo women working as prostitutes and Madams in Spain participated in an ethnographic, longitudinal study spanning five years of data collection. In this article, we focus on some of the key challenges, including ethical considerations, of undertaking ethnographic work in a hazardous fieldwork setting that presents psychological and physical dangers to both participants and researchers, including threats of violence, and researcher burnout.

De-bordering and re-bordering practices at the intersection of gender and migration. A multi-site exploration of specialized services for migrant women experiencing violence in Italy and Sweden

De-bordering and re-bordering practices at the intersection of gender and migration. A multi-site exploration of specialized services for migrant women experiencing violence in Italy and Sweden

Home care for profit: Intermediary agencies and digital platforms brokering migrant women’s labour in Spain

Home care for profit: Intermediary agencies and digital platforms brokering migrant women’s labour in Spain

A Comparative Analysis of Mammography Uptake between Migrant and Non-Migrant Women in Austria-Results of the Austrian Health Interview Survey.

Mammography can reduce breast cancer incidence and mortality. Studies on the utilization of mammography among migrant and non-migrant women are inconsistent. Many of these studies do not take the heterogeneity of migrants in terms of ethnicity and country of origin into account. The aim of the present study was to examine disparities in the use of mammography between non-migrant women and the five largest migrant groups in Austria. The study used data from a nationwide population-based survey of 5118 women aged 45 years and older and analyzed the participation in mammography as a dependent variable. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare mammography uptake between the aforementioned groups of women, while adjusting for socioeconomic and health variables. The study shows that all migrant groups involved tended to use mammography less frequently than non-migrant women; statistically significant differences, however, were only observed for Hungarian migrant women (adjusted OR = 0.36; 95%-CI: 0.13, 0.95; p = 0.038) and women from a Yugoslavian successor state (adjusted OR = 0.55; 95%-CI: 0.31, 0.99; p = 0.044). These findings are consistent with other studies in Europe and beyond, highlighting the heterogeneity of migrant populations and emphasizing the need for a diversity-sensitive approach to health care.

The Continuum of Violence and Interstices in the Journeys and Bodies of Women on the Move From West Africa.

On the migration route from Western and Central Africa to Europe, aggression toward women's bodies has played a prominent role. In this study, we analyze this route as a continuum of violence and also study the interstices to confront it. Using a biographical narrative methodology, we analyze the narratives of 52 migrant women, through life stories or creative narrative workshops carried out in Mali, Morocco, and Spain. The results allow us to systematize the continuum of violence that the women report, understood as a pedagogy of cruelty but also the possible spaces to build a safe landscape.