Gender, migration, and work: Launch of five research reports on social and economic inclusion of migrant and trafficked women in South America

Written on 15 June 2022.

On 29  March, we organised an online event to present the findings of a Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) project conducted jointly with five members and partners in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, and Colombia on the topic of social and economic inclusion of migrant and trafficked women.

The event was moderated by Emilia Cebrián from GAATW-IS and included opening remarks by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Mr Felipe González Morales. The SR highlighted key findings from each country report and linked them with existing resources prepared under his mandate that examine similar issues. Then, the panellists discussed the factors that shaped women’s decisions to migrate, the challenges faced in their migration journeys, their experiences of paid and unpaid labour in both origin and destination and their understandings of social inclusion. They also talked about the main challenges and lessons learnt in using the FPAR methodology during the pandemic and concluded by making recommendations for change identified together with the research participants.

The researches presented in this event were carried out with Venezuelan women in Brazil (by ASBRAD) and Peru (by CHS Alternativo), migrant women from several Latin American countries in Argentina (by CAREF) and Uruguay (by Idas & Vueltas), and returnee Colombian migrant and trafficked women (by Corporación Espacios de Mujer). Each organisation prepared an in-depth country report in Spanish that we encourage everyone to consult for country-specific findings: Cortar los nudos. Mujeres, migrantes y cooperativistas en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, by CAREF (Argentina); Construyendo un Mundo Plural. Experiencias y percepciones de mujeres migrantes venezolanas en Guarulhos, São Paulo, by ASBRAD (Brazil); Vivencias en el retorno y la reintegración. Mujeres migrantes y víctimas de Trata retornadas a Colombia, by Corporación Espacios de Mujer (Colombia); Inclusión social y económica de mujeres migrantes venezolanas en Perú. Transiciones migratorias y trayectorias laborales, by CHS Alternativo (Peru); and Sostener la vida a través de las fronteras. Cuidados y trayectorias laborales de mujeres migrantes en Uruguay, by Idas & Vueltas (Uruguay). Later this month, we Will publish a summary regional report of the findings in English.