Migrant and Refugee Women: Risks and Protection in the Context of Gender Violence

“Migrant and refugee women: risks and protection in the context of gender violence” - Book Review 106 - 1st quarter 2017 - Igor B. Cunha.

The recent rise of restrictive migration policies has contributed to the humanitarian crisis affecting people in transit around the world. This situation should be taken as a factor of violation for all migrants, and especially for social minorities: as governments tighten restrictions and tighten border controls, the vulnerabilities that migrant women may face increase. With policies that are not geared towards gender specificities, these vulnerabilities are made invisible and the precarious situation of the migrant supports the occurrence of different types of violence, be it psychological, physical or sexual. There are few exceptions of specific actions for migrant women in the world, such as the recent attempts by the government of Mexico City to appeal to the UN about the United States' intention to separate undocumented migrant mothers and children.