By M. Luzes , E. Pilatowsky, and J. Ruiz
Over the past 20 years, migration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been characterized by an increase in intraregional migration flows. Within this regional migration scenario there is a misconception, rooted in the social imaginary, that the majority of people who migrate within the continent are men. Nevertheless, women have accounted for practically half of migration flows in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1960, and their participation in the current interregional mobility dynamics is around 50%. Even so, studies that focus on understanding the experiences of discrimination women face, derived from particular stigmas — different to those faced by male migrants — are scarce. This document seeks to understand these particular experiences from an intersectional perspective, exploring the perception of women migrants, their experiences in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and how these impact integration indicators. Female migrants experience unique challenges, different to those of male migrants and local women, confronting multiple forms of discrimination based on their gender, country of origin, migration status, and other interrelated identities. The aim of this work is to delve deeper into the knowledge that reinforces the need to address the specific barriers that women migrants come up against in their integration processes, marked by prejudices and stigmas that influence the narratives about them.
Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB” ), 2024. 42p