Re-shaping discourses on migration and gender-based violence through language mediation: a feminist critical discourse analysis of legal language in the Italian context

Abstract

This study explores the complex intersections between language mediation, migration and gender-based violence (GBV) in the context of Italian migration policy. Using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) as a methodological approach (Lazar, 2005) and interviews with professional language mediators, it aims to fill the gap on how language choices in migration policies shape and constrain migrant women's experiences, often reinforcing gendered and racialised stereotypes. The research focuses on two key areas: (1) the influence of institutional discourses on the accessibility of support services for survivors of GBV (Filmer, 2019) and (2) the role of language mediators as cultural brokers who challenge dominant in-service provisions and institutional biases (Baker, 2006). By identifying narratives that impede access to critical services and perpetuate systemic marginalisation, the study calls for, among other things, the development of targeted policies and gender-sensitive and trauma-informed training programmes. Finally, the study recommends the establishment of multilingual listening in intake processes.

Keywords: FCDA, migration, language mediation, gender-based violence, Italian laws.