SAINT JOSEPH.- The labor migration Latin America is experiencing a notable change towards “feminization,” according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a recent report. More and more women are choosing to migrate in search of job opportunities, already representing 40% of the total migrants in the regiona trend that continues to increase.
Ana Virginia MoreiraILO regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted this trend during the presentation of a new regional strategy until 2030. She noted that this “feminization” of migration is manifested in an increase in women who migrate alone, without being part of a family group, which requires differentiated responses from public policies.
In addition, Francesco Carella, ILO regional migration specialist, emphasized that these migrant women face a double vulnerability, both due to their status as migrants and their gender. During their migratory journey, they are frequent victims of violence and harassment, and upon reaching their destination, they suffer from hypersexualization, in addition to facing an overload of responsibility for unpaid domestic and care work, especially if they migrate as a family.
Carella mentioned the case of Venezuelan migrant women, who represent more than 50% of the more than 6.5 million people who have left the country in recent years. Although they tend to have a more qualified profile than men, they face difficulties in accessing job opportunities in line with their training, often ending up in jobs for which they are overqualified.
Forced labor
The ILO also warned about the risk of forced labor to which migrants are exposed, with a risk three times higher than non-migrants. According to Moreira, the illegal benefits derived from forced migrant labor reach 37 billion dollars, with forced commercial sexual exploitation, to which women and girls are more exposed, being one of the main forms of exploitation.
A recent report by Doctors Without Borders revealed a worrying increase in sexual assaults on migrants in the passage through the Darién jungle, which separates Colombia and Panama, a route that more than half a million people used in 2023. This data highlights the urgency of adequately addressing the challenges faced by migrant women in the region.
Source: With information from AFP
