Migrant Women Research Articles

Negotiating access and belonging: Recounting the lived experiences and challenges of migrant women returnees in Nigeria

The study explores the lived experiences of women migrant returnees in Nigeria. It aims to highlight the motivation and push factors for migration, understand the challenges and lived experiences of migrant women, and appraise their integration and sense of belonging. Through referrals and purposive sampling, a total of 20 migrant women were recruited and interviewed. The inclusion criteria include those who have lived and worked in the diaspora for a minimum of 5 years and 2 years as a returnee in Nigeria, respectively. The exclusion criteria involve women who migrated with families and those considered professionals. Themes were identified with the NVivo (v.12) qualitative software and the Content Qualitative Analytical tool employed to interpret these themes. The need for migration for many women includes access to improved economic life, infrastructure, and amenities, means of sustaining families in the home country, and improved social and political security. The lived experience of women migrants in the diaspora includes sexual harassment, rape, forced and inhumane labour practices, low wages, isolation and depression, and xenophobia. For many returnees, the challenge includes unemployment, integration, family support, inflation, and financial insolvency. The quest for integration and belonging is limited for many returnees. The paper argues for more robust migration policies and a well-established policy of integration for migrant returnees. The study recommends a more monitoring effort of the activities of the Nigerian border. This recommendation becomes crucial with the porous borders in Nigeria through which people, including women, migrate to other countries illegally and undocumented.

Unveiling the multifaceted presentation of a rare case: a complex intersection of anti-TPO positive graves' disease, raised CA-125, and severe dilated cardiomyopathy with myxedema in a zimbabwean migrant woman

Unveiling the multifaceted presentation of a rare case: a complex intersection of anti-TPO positive graves' disease, raised CA-125, and severe dilated cardiomyopathy with myxedema in a zimbabwean migrant woman

Towards carceral protectionist territories: Relational geographies of anti-trafficking confinement in Nepal

The article draws on labour and migration bans in Nepal as a case study to advance nascent, yet growing attention towards trafficking borders in critical geographical research on anti-trafficking. It does so by highlighting a relational geography of carceral protectionist spaces which are encountered, navigated, and sometimes escaped by women citizens on the move who are pre-emptively rescued/‘saved’ from the possibility of being ‘trafficked.’ Specifically, we aim to extend these critical interventions on carceral protectionism in two interconnected ways. First, whilst extant research mainly focuses on institutions and actors within migrant destination states, we examine the operations of carceral protectionist spaces within the home countries of migrant women. Second, we tease out the ways carceral protectionist spaces can actively produce the very subjects they seek to deter or eradicate as they navigate and challenge these institutional spaces. Through the discussion, we develop threads of the conceptualisation of a carceral protectionist territory to indicate the multiple and diffuse, yet interconnected, sites through which women’s mobility aspirations are constrained by anti-trafficking infrastructures.

Obstetrical Complications in Venezuelan Refugee and Migrant Women: Analysis of Ecuadorian National Hospital Discharge Data, 2018-2021.

An estimated 7.7million Venezuelans have fled a severe humanitarian crisis in their country, most (70%) to other middle-income host countries in the same Andean region. Migration-related exposures during periconception and other critical gestational periods can adversely impact maternal-perinatal outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that Venezuelan refugee and migrant women (VRMW) who migrate to Andean host countries are at-risk for delivering preterm and low birthweight infants and for Cesarean-sections. However, relatively few studies have examined obstetrical complications that could contribute to these or other short- and longer-term health outcomes of VRMW and/or their offspring. Our exploratory study analyzed four recent years of national hospital discharge data (2018-2021) from Ecuador to compare the primary discharge diagnoses of VRMW (n = 29,005) and Ecuadorian nationals (n = 1,136,796) for ICD-10 O code obstetrical complications related to or aggravated by pregnancy, childbirth, or the puerperium. Our findings indicated that VRMW were hospitalized for 0.5 days longer than Ecuadorian reference group women and they had higher adjusted odds (aOR) for a primary discharge diagnosis for obstetrical complications including preeclampsia (aOR:1.62, 95% CI:1.55,1.69), preterm labor (aOR:1.20, 95% CI:1.11,1.31), premature rupture of membranes (aOR: 1.72, 95% CI:1.63,1.83), oligohydraminos (aOR:1.24, 95% CI:1.12,1.36), obstructed labor (aOR: 1.39, 95% CI:1.31,1.47), perineal lacerations/other obstetric trauma (aOR:1.76, 95% CI:1.63, 1.91), STIs (aOR:2.59, 95% CI:1.29,2.92), anemia (aOR:1.33, 95% CI:1.24,1.42), and ectopic pregnancy (aOR:1.16 95% CI:1.04,1.28). They had similar aOR for diagnosed gestational diabetes and spontaneous abortion (SAB) compared to the reference group but a reduced aOR for genitourinary infections (aOR:0.79, 95% CI:0.74,0.84) and early pregnancy hemorrhage not ending in SAB (aOR:0.43, 95% CI:0.36,0.51). Our findings underscore the vulnerability of VRMW for a number of potentially serious obstetrical complications with the potential to adversely impact the short- and longer-term health of mothers and their offspring. Future studies should collect more detailed information on the migration status, experiences, and exposures of MRMW that influence their risk for obstetrical complications. These are needed to expand our findings to better understand why they have excess risk for these and to inform social and public health policies, programs and targeted interventions aimed at reducing the risk of this vulnerable refugee and migrant group.

Engendering migrant counterpublics: fun, care, solidarity, and resistance among Ethiopian domestic workers in Lebanon

ABSTRACT Research documenting the re-configurations of ‘public–private’ boundaries encountered by migrant domestic workers has observed how they often create a sense of ‘home’ in public spaces in destination countries. Migrant workers’ occupation of, and interactions in, public spaces such as parks, malls, restaurants, and churches in effect create ‘private spheres’ where they can relax and be themselves with friends and sometimes partners. Yet migrant women also often face a double exclusion from the public sphere as political subjects, first as women and second as migrants. Their physical presence in the public sphere may be highly regulated by gender norms, and their participation in the public sphere is limited due to their exclusion from citizenship or even labour entitlements. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s concept of subaltern counterpublics, this paper argues that migrant domestic workers’ experiences of re-configuring public and private spaces within Lebanon contribute to the creation of ‘migrant counterpublics’ that challenges the methodological-nationalist limitations of conceptualisations of citizenship and participation in the public sphere. I make these reflections through an auto-ethnographic account of my experiences while researching the working lives and conditions of Ethiopian migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. Central to these reflections on our navigation of public spaces is the consideration of our embodied experiences as racialised women, which intersected with our differential class, sexuality, and migrant status positioning.

‘Just like being back in Ethiopia’: gender, ethnicity, and belonging in Footscray

ABSTRACT In this article, we examine the experience of migrant Ethiopian women in Footscray. Drawing on interviews with 14 Ethiopian women who have significant connections with Footscray, an inner city, gentrifying suburb in Melbourne, Australia, we elucidate their lived experience of navigating Footscray’s complex and layered public spaces. On one hand, the women experience a profound sense of belonging and comfort in central Footscray – feeling at home because of the Ethiopian population that spends time there, the Ethiopian shops, coffee houses, and through their use of shared public space. On the other, Ethiopian women experience insecurity and harassment in Footscray. Our paper demonstrates that the experience of ‘feeling comfortable’ is never settled and must continue to be negotiated in and through the experience of vulnerability and harassment.

Making money moves: rural women, returnees, and renegotiations of sex work through the street in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Feminist research has highlighted both the emancipatory components of sex work on women’s lives, as well as the problematic nature of an overly romanticised reading of women’s sexual labour. In Ethiopian cities, including the capital, Addis Ababa, rural migrant women and returnee women from the Gulf States are confronted with layered forms of structural disadvantage that narrow the scope of their prospects for economic empowerment and deepen their vulnerability. Consequently, women relate to the street as a connector to capital, despite clashing claims for access and proximity that govern the street economy. This paper explores the everyday lived experiences of rural migrant women and returnee women streetworkers in Addis Ababa. Drawing on qualitative data collected in 2022 and 2023, the findings of this study show that women resort to sex work under conditions of protracted economic strain and an absence of viable alternatives for self-employment. Due to the marginalisation they face as part of the informal labour market, women exercise sex work both in the form of streetwalking and through routine engagements in transactional sexual relationships; both activities representing a central component of women’s ability to get by in the city. This paper argues that despite being the site of consequential transformation, women’s economic empowerment through sex work takes place within an entrenched patriarchal order that reproduces disenfranchising power inequalities through the practice of sex work itself, while reasserting the way women’s bodily integrity, safety, aspirations, and social standing are governed on – and by – the street.

Discrimination and violence against women migrant workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.

Women migrant workers are vulnerable to discrimination and violence, which are significant public health problems. These situations may have been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate discrimination against women migrant workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic and its intersection with their experiences of violence and associated factors. A mixed-methods study design was employed to collect data from 572 women migrant workers from Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Cambodia. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 494 participants using a structured questionnaire for quantitative data, whereas qualitative data was collected through 24 in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 54 migrant women. Simple and multiple logistic regression and content analysis were employed. This study found that about one in five women migrant workers experienced discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those who experienced discrimination, 63.2% had experienced intimate partner violence and 76.4% had experienced non-intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The multivariable analysis revealed that women migrant workers who had experienced any violence (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.49, 5.12), lost their jobs or income during the pandemic (AOR = 3.99, 95% CI = 2.09, 7.62), and were from Myanmar (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.79, 12.21) were more likely to have experienced discrimination. The results suggest that the intersection of discrimination and violence against women migrant workers in Thailand demands special interest to understand and address the problem. It is recommended that policymakers provide interventions and programs that are inclusive and responsive to the unique needs of women migrants depending on their country of origin and job profile.

Life in a State of Limbo – Narratives of Place, Health, and Integration Among Later Life Female Migrants in Sweden

International migration is a prioritized domain of European aging research. Using a qualitative approach, the author has gathered accounts among Iranian later-life females in the Swedish city of Malmö, suffering from social isolation. The women in this article found themselves in a situation like that of other later-life migrants in Sweden. Several studies have shown how these groups are at risk of ending up in a social isolation which can be hard to break. The situation of the later-life migrant women discussed in this study is characterized by the loss of numerous deep-seated and natural social bonds connected to ethnicity, family, language, and culture. To cope with their exposed situation, the local Iranian-Swedish association provided some self-arranged activities, offering opportunities to social integration. The aim of the study is to demonstrate how the women described their life situation where a local day center made up the key foundation of their social life in a Swedish city in 2000–2008. Typical of that period was that solutions of the alarming situation of some foreign-born elderly citizens were discussed by local authorities, as well as volunteer organizations. Thus, the aim is not to describe the present situation among later life migrants. On the contrary, the perspective is retrospective. The theoretical inspirations used in the article derive from a broader backdrop of social-constructive assumptions that define narratives or accounts as explanations of the reality of everyday life and experiences. In the article the women’s stories are defined as small, local, erratic narratives, nevertheless explaining the reality of everyday life and experiences which in their turn reflect the state of illness, locally specific attachment and social isolation. Three salient themes emerge in the material: place bound experiences, illness and unsuccessful integration. The narratives are defined as small irregular accounts, contrasting larger narratives of later-life migration. The article shows how the women depicted their situation as a borderline between an Iranian life in exile and a Swedish society, leaving them in a state of Limbo. The women expressed ambitions of integrate into a Swedish community of senior citizens, providing privileges and civil rights. Thus, the narratives challenge common generalizing images of later-life migrants and their life conditions.

The rise in cross‐national marriages and the emergent inequalities in East and Southeast Asia

The rise in cross‐national marriages and the emergent inequalities in East and Southeast Asia

Gender and Social Contacts: Labour Market Entry Among Refugee and Family Reunion Migrants in Sweden

Increasing rates of refugee and family reunion immigration have led to rising concern about integration in Europe. Previous studies point to the importance of social contacts for migrants’ labour market integration but suggest that they play different roles for men and women. Yet, less attention has been paid to the potential factors shaping gender differences. Using the Swedish Level of Living Survey of foreign-born and their children, this study (1) establishes the gender-specific role of contacts at entry into employment among refugee and family reunion migrants, and (2) analyses how educational attainment and region of origin shape gender differences. Results reveal that social contacts promote entry into employment among migrant men. In contrast, contacts are not related to a shorter time to first job among migrant women. Findings further point towards gender differences in the role of social contacts by educational attainment and region of origin. In particular, migrant men appear to benefit from their contacts largely because social contacts assist low-educated men in securing work. Among women, the role of social contacts does not differ across educational attainment. Instead, educational attainment is directly associated with time to first job, suggesting that women rely more heavily on their formal education. The returns to social contacts are heterogeneous across regions of origin, and especially so among women.

“Today I am a Russian-Moroccan”: Cultural transition among Gen 1.5 immigrant women in Israel's geo-social periphery

The study highlights the unique experiences of socio-cultural transition among young ex-Soviet immigrant women who spent their formative years in Israel's urban periphery among resident Mizrahi Jews. It follows the complex dynamic in Russian-Mizrahi relations moving from mutual hostility and rejection to gradual adoption of Mizrahi habitus, often leading to marriage between Mizrahi men and Russian women. As part of a larger study of the migrant journeys in Israel's geo-social periphery, we interviewed 24 women belonging to Generation 1.5 who immigrated as children or adolescents. Most informants achieved some economic mobility despite their low starting positions, and many of them were married to Mizrahi partners. The interviews illuminate lingering ambivalence in the ongoing cultural encounter between Jewish Israelis of ex-Soviet and Middle-Eastern origin. They show how gendered body praxis around dress, hair, and other visual elements; communicative styles, as well as cooking and domestic habits of many migrant women of Ashkenazi (European) origin were transformed by adopting local Mizrahi features. Most informants spoke of this change as adaptive for their integration in the new milieu, but over time they came to appreciate the positive facets of Mizrahi habitus and family life. Our findings shed light on the evolving boundary-work between hosts and immigrants by means of gendered and embodied cultural transition.

Problems of Myanmar Women of Reproductive Age in Accessing Health Services as Migrant Workers in Thailand: A Qualitative Study

Background: The largest portion of migrant labor in Thailand originates from Myanmar, with almost half consisting of female workers. Most female migrant workers (MWs) are of reproductive age and often experience physical illnesses, including pregnancy and childbirth. Although access to prenatal care and delivery services for Myanmar MWs has been previously studied, their challenges in accessing other reproductive health services (HSs) have not yet been explored.Purpose: This study aimed to explore problems in accessing health services experienced by women of reproductive age (WRA) who were members of the Myanmar migrant workforce in Thailand.Methods: The present study employed a qualitative research design. The samples consisted of 20 informants aged 18-49 years old, who were Myanmar WRA working as migrant laborers for more than one year. They were subdivided into two groups: 10 participants provided information through in-depth interviews, and the other 10 participated in focus group discussions, with each group comprising 5 individuals. The researchers selected informants using criterion sampling. Data analysis utilized the Diekelmann and Allen method.Results: The findings revealed two general themes, including care ineligibility and problems in accessing health services. The six major issues among Myanmar WRA include inability to purchase or renew health insurance cards (HICs), HIC or social security wage deduction avoidance, communication issues, hospital inexperience, the transit fare, and admission refusal.Conclusion: Despite available health services, migrant women from Myanmar encounter barriers such as inability to purchase health insurance cards, wage deduction concerns, communication issues, hospital unfamiliarity, transportation expenses, and admission refusal. Addressing these barriers through policy interventions and support mechanisms is crucial for enhancing healthcare access.

Embodying intimate border violence: collaborative art-research as multipliers of Latin American migrant women’s affects

ABSTRACT This paper argues for the decolonial feminist potential of multi-layered arts-research collaborations for critical research committed to advancing migrant justice. It reflects on the art-research collaborative project, ‘stitching voices, stitching bodies’, investigating the gendered, racialised, colonial and geopolitical dynamics of violence and resistance of Latin American migrant women. Collaborators included the author and visual artist Nina Franco, twenty anonymous Latin American survivors of violence, three Latin American women activists and a filmmaker, a British-Caribbean sound engineer and an Irish-Caribbean video editor. Through our art-research methodological engagements, the relationship between the researcher, artists and participants was significantly altered as we alternated between and simultaneously occupied those positions. Exchanging and complementing our skills and sensibilities, we tried new ways of working and overlapped various layers of expression to collectively produce knowledge that enhanced understandings of and multiplied affects concerning intimate border violence. Through our art, we were able to envision, explore and represent intimate border violence, coloniality and resistance to these in audio-visual and visceral ways that grasped and multiplied embodied affects not only for research participants and collaborators but also audiences.

One size does not fit all: Perspectives from Swedish midwives on fetal movement counselling

ProblemMigration continues to play a role in determining health outcomes related to pregnancy and childbirth in Sweden. BackgroundMigrant women have, compared to Swedish-born women, increased risks of adverse birth outcomes. Previous research suggests that migrant women seek care for decreased fetal movements less than Swedish-born women. Given these documented risks, understanding midwives’ perspectives in this context is crucial to address maternal health inequities. AimTo explore midwives’ experiences conveying information about fetal movement to migrant women in antenatal healthcare settings. MethodsSemi-structured, individual interviews with midwives (n=15) experienced in providing information about fetal movements to migrant women. The interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. FindingsThe midwives’ efforts to compensate for the deficiencies within the antenatal healthcare organisation and to ensure that all women received access to information and care regarding fetal movements are described in four themes: (a) building a trusting relationship; (b) empowering women through guidance and support; (c) overcoming communication challenges; and d) navigating safety measures. DiscussionOur findings suggest that the standard antenatal care programme does not support midwives to provide holistic and individualised care that aligns with midwifery care philosophy. ConclusionTo reduce health inequities for migrant women, this study highlights the need for more flexible guidelines within the standard antenatal care programme. These guidelines should prioritise the individual woman’s needs over institutional protocols, acknowledge the midwife-woman relationship as the core of midwifery practice and support midwives to build a partnership with women through continuity of care.

Acesso à saúde por mulheres migrantes internacionais e refugiadas no município de São Paulo no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19

The present study is a narrative literature review aimed at understanding the specificities of access to healthcare for international migrants and refugees, with a focus on migrant women, and reflecting on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this population. Articles were searched in databases in the Virtual Health Library, refining by sources from the Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), MEDLINE, PubMed Central (PMC), and the Scientific Electronic Library (Scielo). From the articles found, after reading the abstracts, 35 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis. The literature shows that access to healthcare for international migrants and refugees has specificities that can contribute to a situation of health vulnerability, potentially exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to social inequalities, sociocultural differences, the burden of domestic work, and different forms of violence accentuated during the pandemic, migrant women constitute a severely affected group by the setbacks of the socio-sanitary crisis caused by Covid-19. The scarcity of focused public policies makes it difficult to confront this challenge, which, to be solved, must take into account the socio-economic, cultural, symbolic, and linguistic barriers existing between them and the service, as well as the central role they play in family care, acting as a bridge between the migrant community and the healthcare system

Integration of Unemployed Venezuelan Immigrant Women in Colombia

The integration of immigrants in a host society must consider aspects related to the labour field, as well as other factors including their differences. The existence of 97 unemployed Venezuelan migrant women living in Cúcuta, Los Patios and La Parada, border cities of Norte de Santander, Colombia with the state of Táchira, places them at a disadvantage in terms of integration; hence, this study set out to propose strategies to guide governance officials and actors in managing their integration. By means of a multidimensional analysis, three profiles of these unemployed migrant women were obtained for their diversity, generating strategies for each profile in structural, social and cultural contexts; through this, it became evident that the characteristics of those who settle as immigrants can be considered in order to establish integration strategies in line with these characteristics. Thus, the methodology of the study could be useful in other areas of migration for the design of integration strategies that consider the heterogeneity of immigrants to facilitate their contribution to the society and economy of the country that has hosted them.

The prevalence of preterm and low birth weight infants among migrant women in the Pearl River Delta region, China: a population-based birth cohort study

BackgroundThe existing literature evaluating the association between neonatal morbidity and migrant status presents contradictory results. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) among newborns from local and migrant women in China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.MethodsIn this observational population-based study, we included all live singleton deliveries from PRD region local women and migrant women. Data were sourced from the Guangdong Medical Birth Registry Information System between Jan 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2020. Women were categorized into three groups by maternal migrant status: local women from PRD region, migrant women from Guangdong province or from other provinces. The outcome variables that were examined included two adverse birth outcomes: PTB and LBW. The association between the risk of PTB and LBW and maternal migrant status was assessed using logistic regression.ResultsDuring 2014–2020, 5,219,133 single live deliveries were recorded, corresponding 13.22% to local women and the rest to migrant women coming from Guangdong (53.51%) and other provinces (33.26%). PTB prevalence was highest among local women (5.79%), followed by migrant women from Guangdong (5.29%), and the lowest among migrants from other provinces (4.95%). This association did not change after including maternal age, infant sex, delivery mode, and birth season in the models. Compared to local women, migrant women from other provinces had a lower risk of LBW (4.00% vs. 4.98%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of PTB and LBW was higher among local women than migrants. The odds of delivery PTB and LBW were higher for women who were age ≥ 35. Among the three maternal migration groups, the age-LBW association displayed a typical U-shaped pattern, with those in the youngest (16–24 years) and oldest (≥ 35) age categories exhibiting the higher odds of delivering a LBW neonate. With respect to infant sex, the prevalence of PTB was significantly higher in males than females among the three maternal migration groups. An opposite trend was found for LBW, and the prevalence of LBW was higher in females among the three maternal migration groups.ConclusionThe findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the epidemiology of PTB and LBW among migrant women. Our study suggests that it is the health and robust nature of migrant mothers that predisposes them to better birth outcomes. It is important to recognize that the results of this study, while supportive of the healthy migrant effect, cannot be considered definitive without some exploration of motivation for moving and changes in lifestyle postmigration.

Recent Developments concerning the Rights of Migrant Workers and of Women: a Survey of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Abstract The survey of the Gulf Cooperation Council states reviews some key legislative and executive measures of particularly the governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the year 2023 (largely between December 2022–2023). It focuses mainly on the rights of the migrant workers. Further, and in less detail, it also notes some of the developments pertinent to the rights of women. More generally, these rights are less relevant to women who are not national citizens. The GCC comprises six member countries in the Arab-Gulf region: Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE (it is a federal state comprising seven emirates namely, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah), Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. These oil-producing countries have a significant proportion of foreign workforce in the population. At 88.1 per cent, the UAE has the highest proportion of migrants in its population among the GCC members (UN DESA, 2020). Foreign workers work mostly in the private sector and are also residents in the host countries. Therefore, a broader spectrum of governments’ measures relating to the issues like labour, entry and residence, and ownership of property or business touch the lives of the foreign/migrant workers or expatriates in the Gulf country. Governments’ initiatives targeting domestic workers are relevant also for women because they comprise the majority in this group. Apparently, the most prolific among the GCC countries in governmental initiatives during the surveyed period is the UAE, both concerning migrant workers and women. The Gulf states appear to have showed more responsiveness to their public image as a few important global events have happened in the region in the past year or discussion was in progress. For instance, the FIFA World Cup 2022 was hosted in Doha, Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022. The 28th United Nations Climate Change conference or COP28 was hosted in Dubai, the UAE from 30 November to 12 December 2023. Announced at the conclusion of the competitive bidding process in November 2023, Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh from October 2030 to March 2031.

Gender-based violence perpetrated against migrant women during lockdowns: A pastoral care challenge

Background: The article unpacks the complexities of gender-based violence (GBV) against illegal migrant women during lockdowns and contributes to the broader discourse on gender equality, human rights and social justice within the Pentecostal or Charismatic pastoral praxis. The geographical demography was a semi-formal area located between South Africa’s Gauteng and Northwest provinces. The period for the inquiry was South Africa’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced lockdowns that began on 27 March 2020 until 05 April 2022.Objectives: The study aimed to shed light on the unique challenges faced by this vulnerable population, exploring the intersectionality of their undocumented status, gender and the socio-economic impacts of restrictive measures and the challenges to pastorally care for them.Method: The qualitative approach and case study were used to select two sets of participants; 13 illegal Zimbabwean Migrant Women (ZMW) and 3 Pentecostal or Charismatic clergy.Results: There was a disturbing prevalence of GBV incidents, ranging from physical, sexual to psychological abuse. The illegal status of migrant women exacerbated their vulnerability and reluctance to seek help due to fear of deportation and societal stigmatisation. The lockdown-induced economic strain further compounded their susceptibility to GBV.Conclusion: There was nonexistent pastoral care policy or praxis within the Pentecostal or Charismatic church for illegal ZMW who were victims of GBV during the lockdowns. These themes emerged: (1) high incidents of GBV perpetrated against illegal ZMW during lockdowns; (2) barriers to seeking pastoral care were lack of trust, migration status, fear of deportation, fear of infection and (3) no physical virtual pastoral care.Contribution: This article is embedded in the Pentecostal or Charismatic practice of care; postmodern, using the interpretive narrative framework to highlight the narratives of illegal Zimbabwean Migrant Women (ZMW) who were victims of gender-based violence (GBV) during South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdowns and the challenges of pastorally caring for them.