The Institutionalization of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Migrant Women’s Access to Social Protection System in Advanced Welfare Societies.

A Systematic Qualitative Exploration of the Literature at the Cutting Edge of Gender, Migration, and Welfare

Abstract

This study critically engages with the knowledge produced in the field of gender-based violence (GBV) in the context of migration. The focus is specifically on empirical studies that look at women whose immigrant status is precarious, which means that their pathway to citizenship is uncertain and dependent on others. Some examples are migrant women students, asylum claimants and refused asylum claims, individuals whose permit is expired, spouses, and migrant seasonal workers in the sex industry, domestic sector, manufacturing, and agriculture. The contribution of this systematic literature review is the investigation of how researchers conceptualize GBV against women having a precarious legal status and their access to social protection in welfare advanced societies. Data were identified and selected by combining the Intersectionality-based Policy Approach (IBPA) with the evidenced-based protocol of systematic reviews and were analyzed with a Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) to deconstruct categorical tags used to frame both migratory status and GBV (e.g. trafficking, domestic violence, female genital mutilation). The discussion will be made on how classification systems influence both the framing of the problem (GBV) and the social protection responses (solutions/interventions) to it.

Keywords: gender-based violence, migrant women, precarious legal status, welfare service, systematic literature review, intersectionality.