BARRIERS THAT PREVENT INSTITUTIONALIZED MIGRANTS IN THE WOMEN'S PROTECTION FROM ESCAPING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

• Gabriela Moriana Mateo Universitat de València

Keywords: women migration gender-based violence social exclusion intersectionality

Abstract

This article is the result of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in various women’s shelters in the Valencian Community. The aim was to explore the barriers that prevent or hinder institutionalized migrant women from escaping gender-based violence, from their perspective and point of view. The study follows a qualitative methodology. On the basis of participant observation, personal documents, social reports and in-depth interviews, it was possible to build up 15 life histories, 6 of which were of migrant. As far as the results are concerned, it appears that when it comes to escaping gender-based violence these women experience practically the same difficulties as institutionalized Spanish women, apart from the lack of information, the language barrier and, most of all, their irregular migration status, which means they can only find precarious work in the black economy and are unable to access social rights or institutional support