The gender perspective in migration policy: between the protection of female women and their transformative agency

Abstract

In Latin America, migration has intensified over recent decades as a result of political, economic, social, and environmental crises, generating increasingly complex and diverse flows. In this context, female migrants face distinct—and, in many cases, exacerbated—risks linked to gender-based violence, labor exploitation, discrimination, and human trafficking. These situations are reinforced by structural factors such as irregular migration status, language barriers, informal employment, economic precariousness, care work, and limited access to protection mechanisms.

This article analyzes the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into migration policy as a key tool for preventing and responding to the violence affecting female migrants, as well as for enhancing their transformative agency in both their societies of origin and destination. To this end, fundamental concepts such as the feminization of migration and the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in public policies are reviewed. Furthermore, concrete proposals for gender-responsive migration policies are presented, aimed at strengthening a system of migration governance that is more inclusive, effective, and respectful of the rights of all migrants.