Home as a vital node in the process of inclusion of migrants: the role of women in collective abusive occupations in Italy

Abstract

The active role of women in migration is neglected: to the traditional and stereotypical image of the migrant as male, young, Muslim, without family and driven by economic motivations, another one is matching, that of women, with different age, husband and sons, several geographical origins, predominantly Christian and who participate energetically in social life, changing our towns and cities. The paper shows the main evidence from a research focused on housing issue in Italy and on the case study of Rome. In a time when the protection of the economic, social and cultural rights seems to fail, (as for the right to education, to work, to housing, to health) for a stronger interest for the individual rights (freedom of opinion, of speech etc.) (Casavola 1993), the analysis of the female migrants’ role in the foreign communities’ when participate in the social movements for the right to housing can support and foster the scientific definition of this crucial aspect in the migrations.

Keywords: migration, women, social participation.