Yes / Introduction Despite the interconnectedness of the European Union, there are significant variations in pregnant women’s legal status as migrants and therefore their ability to access maternity care. Limited access to maternity care can lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates in migrant women and their babies. This study aimed to investigate and compare maternal health access policies and the context in which they operate across European countries for women who have migrated and are not considered citizens of the host country. Methods The study adopted a mixed-methods research design exploring policies on migrant women’s access to maternity care across the migration regimes. Data were extracted from legal documents and research reports to construct a new typology to identify the inclusiveness of policies determining access to maternity care for migrant women. Results This study found inconsistency in the categorisation of migrants across countries and significant disparities in access to maternity care for migrant women within and between European countries. A lack of connection between access policies and migration regimes, along with a lack of fit between policies and public support for migration suggests a low level of path dependency and leaves space for policy innovation. Discussion Inequities and inconsistencies in policies across European countries affect non-citizen migrant women’s access to maternity care. These policies act to reproduce structural inequalities which compromise the health of vulnerable women and newborns in reception countries. There is an urgent need to address this inequity, which discriminates against these already marginalised women. / This article is based upon work from COST Action IS1405 BIRTH: “Building Intrapartum Research Through Health—An interdisciplinary whole system approach to understanding and contextualising physiological labour and birth” (http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/isch/IS1405), supported by EU COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The work of Alena Pařízková was supported by project Migration and maternal health: pregnancy, birth and early parenting (The Czech Science Foundation, grant 16-10953S). Open access publishing supported by the National Technical Library in Prague.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate factors and mechanisms of resilience among Turkish migrant women in the UK. For this purpose, qualitative and quantitative methods were used in combination. The quantitative study examined the role of perceived discrimination and social support, psychological distress, and integration acculturation attitude in predicting empowerment scores as the indication of resilience among Turkish migrant women in the UK. Demographic characteristics of education level, perceived English language level and residence status were controlled. The quantitative sample of the study consisted of 248 Turkish migrant women in London, while the qualitative sample of the study included 11 women who were selected among the participants of the quantitative study. Data collection instruments used in the quantitative study included, a demographic data form, Social Support Scale (Cohen &amp / Willis, 1985 / Soyg&uuml / t, 1989), General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972 / Kili&ccedil / , 1996), Acculturation Attitudes Scale (Ataca &amp / Berry, 2002), and Empowerment Scale (Sciarappa, Rogers, &amp / Chamberlin, 1994). The qualitative data were collected through narrative interviews by using an interview schedule that consisted of topics like migration story/process, experiences in the UK, coping processes/mechanisms, opportunities, discrimination, language and relationships, gender related experiences, changes in life, and social support networks. Results of the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the model of linear combinations of educational level, perceived English language level and residence status of participants, perceived discrimination, perceived social support, distress level and integration acculturation attitude significantly explained 38.5% of the total variance in empowerment scores. Among all individual predictor variables, having medium and high educational level, having higher levels of perceived social support and integration attitude, and having lower level of psychological distress were found associated with higher empowerment scores, and thus with higher resilience among Turkish migrant women in the UK. In the qualitative study, the documentary method was used to analyse the transcribed interviews. Results revealed that migration process, language, accommodation, marriage and relationship with husband, social relationships, ties and friends, children and motherhood, losses, husband&rsquo / s family, loneliness and belongingness, Turkish community, health problems and experiences with health services, and discrimination are the important risk and/or protective factors in the resilience of Turkish migrant women. Results also revealed that having or developing an educational orientation is an important protective factor for Turkish migrant women in the host country. Qualitative findings also showed that although almost all women used some strategies to cope with the demands of their lives in a new country, this process went beyond coping and corresponded to transformation and, in turn, resilience for some women.

Abstract not available.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen var att undersöka hur olika yrkesgrupper inom socialt arbete jobbade kring migrantkvinnors integration på arbetsmarknaden. Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex kvinnor som kommer i kontakt med migrantkvinnor och jobbar med integration. Inför denna studie användes genusteorin med ett intersektionellt perspektiv. Studiens resultat visade att enligt intervjupersonerna var bland annat tillgänglighet, kommunikation och förståelse för varandras roller några faktorer för att samverkan med andra aktörer skulle kunna fungera. Resultatet visade även att arbetet kring migrantkvinnornas integration på arbetsmarknaden inte enbart omfattade insatser inom utbildning och arbetsträning, utan även insatser inom exempelvis vård, barnomsorg och försörjningsstöd. Vidare visade resultatet att arbetet med att integrera migrantkvinnorna på arbetsmarknaden kunde påverkas av olika faktorer, exempelvis hur samverkan såg ut med andra aktörer, vilka resurser verksamheterna hade tillgång till, samt den aktuella svenska migrationspolitiken och lagstiftning. Utifrån detta kunde slutsatsen dras att arbetet med att integrera migrantkvinnor på arbetsmarknaden var mycket komplext, och att samverkan med andra aktörer spelade en viktig roll i arbetet. / The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how different social work professions worked with different agencies to integrate migrant women into the labor market. The study was conducted using a qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews with six women who work with integration and come in contact with migrant women. Gender theory with an intersectional perspective was implemented in this study. The results of this study showed that, according to the interviewees, factors such as accessibility, communication, and an understanding of each other’s professional roles were some important factors for collaboration with other agencies to work. The results also showed that integration of migrant women into the labor market not only involved interventions in education and vocational training, but also interventions in areas such as health care, childcare and welfare. Furthermore, the results showed that work to integrate migrant women into the labor market could be influenced by various factors, such as how a collaboration with other agencies was organized, what resources the organizations had access to, as well as the current Swedish migration policy and legislation. Based on this, the conclusion was drawn that integrating migrant women into the labor market was very complex, and that collaboration with other agencies played an important role in this work.

No description available.

Muslim family members constitute a significant migration flow to the UK (Kofman et al., 2013). Despite such observations, this form of mobility is under-explored in geographic scholarship on migration. Accordingly, this thesis examines the subjective experiences of migration of a small group of Muslim women, who migrated either with or to join their families in Scotland. Participant observation, focus groups and the life narratives of eight women are used to gain an in-depth understanding of both the reasons for and the consequences of migration for this group of Muslim women. In addition, this thesis examines the role of a secular community-based organisation in supporting migrants in their everyday lives. Drawing on conceptual approaches to migration, this study reveals diverse and complex motivations among participants in “choosing” to migrate. Far from “victims” or “trailing wives”, participants privileged their children's needs but also the possibility to transform their sense of self through migration. The study draws attention to the struggles of daily life in Scotland where, bereft of extended family, the synchronisation of migration with childbirth resulted in some participants enduring years of isolation. Such struggles resulted in changes in the home, with husbands providing both physical and emotional support. The experience of migration affected the women's religious identities, providing solace as well as a way to assert belonging in Scotland by drawing on Islamic theology. The community-based organisation provided a “safe space”, bridging the secular and non-secular and offering women the chance to socialise, learn and volunteer. The study shows that volunteering provided not only a way into paid work but also shaped women's subjectivities and home lives. However, the re-direction of national government funding towards “Muslim problems” threatens to undermine the organisation's ability to continue to meet the local needs of Muslim migrant women.

MA, Forced Migration Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011. / Rationale: Urbanization is rapidly taking place in Africa: fifty percent of the continent‘s population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2030 (Kok and Collinson in Vearey 2010b). Both internal1 and cross-border migrants2 are moving into South Africa’s urban centers at a faster rate than her neighboring countries; approximately 60 percent of the population is estimated to be urban (ibid). The worldwide increase in urbanization requires that research recognize the trajectories of people moving into these urban spaces, as well as the experiences that people encounter as they navigate urban centers (Kihato, 2010, Landau 2006a, 2006b, Vearey 2010a, 2010b, Venables, 2010). Many migrants in inner-city Johannesburg engage in unconventional survival strategies, including sex work (e.g. Richter 2010). Although sex work is considered an informal livelihood strategy, it is currently illegal in South Africa (UNAIDS, 2009). Research on sex work in South Africa is limited; however, there is significant evidence that sex workers in inner-city Johannesburg experience unsafe, unhealthy- often times violent- working and living conditions (e.g. Nyangairi, 2010, Richeter, 2010). This research is primarily interested in exploring the ways in which “marginalized” urban migrant groups choose to represent themselves versus the incomplete (re) presentation that is often relegated to them. A focus on representation will provide an opportunity for policy makers, programmers and academics to gain insight and better comprehend the experiences of migrant urban populations. In this case, the researcher is looking specifically at migrant women who sell sex as an entry point into the larger issues of (re) presentation among individuals and communities who are often described as “vulnerable” and/or “marginal”. Aim: The aim of this research project is to explore how migrant women who sell sex in Hillbrow, Johannesburg (re) present themselves, and how (or not) urban space affects these self- (re) presentations. Methods: The epistemological framework for the methodologies used in this study was Participatory Action Research (PAR), and the primary data collection methodology used consisted of an eleven-day participatory photo project where the research participants were given digital cameras and asked to photograph the “story” that they would like to share. Upon completion of the participatory photo workshop, five research participants were randomly selected to participate in 2-3 sessions of in-depth, semi-structured narrative interviews where the researcher explored the choice of photos taken, as well as the reasons why the photos were selected to (re) present themselves. Conclusion: This study has shown that use of Participatory Action Research as an epistemological framework is both conducive and appropriate when researching ‘hard to reach’ groups of people residing in complex urban areas. Furthermore, this research signals the need for greater inclusion of participants in studies aimed at understanding individual/group experience, especially when working with marginalized communities. This study also reveals a host of future research opportunities for those interested in exploring: (1) identity in urban space/urban health, (2) livelihood experiences/strategies of people living in densely populated urban spaces, (3) issues of belonging and access to health care, (4) impacts of structural violence on the lives of migrant women sex workers, (6) ways that perceptions and representations are impacted in group settings, and (5) the use of ‘innovative methodologies’ as a viable tool in social science research.

This thesis aims to gain a deeper understanding of relationships and sexuality of women at risk of social exclusion in Sri Lanka and the risk of violations of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) that they might face. Individual qualitative interviews with migrant women workers (n=18) and men (n=18) in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ), women facing single motherhood (n=28) and women formerly involved in prostitution (n=15) were conducted. Conceptual approaches included gender, social navigation and SRHR. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis. Findings revealed that the migrant women workers negotiated norms of respectability in a society that highly stigmatizes FTZ women workers, while the men identified conflicting constructions of masculinity existing in the FTZ. The women facing single motherhood navigated oppressive and stigmatizing social forces, and the women in prostitution constructed themselves as respectable in opposition to their societal disvalue and marginalization. In order to retain an image of sexual innocence, unmarried women are likely to refrain from demanding or demonstrating SRHR knowledge and accessing services. Furthermore, gender power imbalances leave the women vulnerable to sexual persuasion, coercion and violence. Once pregnant, social, legal, and knowledge barriers hinder or delay them in accessing abortion services. Unmarried pregnant women are thus left with the alternatives of adoption, infanticide, and suicide or become stigmatized single mothers with risks of health and social exclusion for mother and child. Extreme marginalization and limited power make women in prostitution vulnerable to unsafe sex, rape and violence. In conclusion, these women are likely to face numerous and serious SRHR hazards. The complexity of gendered social circumstances and the SRHR implications demonstrated in this thesis, add to the SRHR knowledge in Sri Lanka, and should inform politicians and policy makers about the need to improve the situation of all women in Sri Lanka.

Brazil, like other Latin American countries, has witnessed an increase in south-south migration rates in the last decade. This scenario led to important changes in migration policies at the Federal level – the update of the conservative Foreigner Statute from 1980 to a rights-based Migration law in 2017 is the prime example of how migration flows can contribute to the promotion of rights and strengthen democracy in host societies. Nonetheless, migrants still face numerous difficulties in the Brazilian territory: public servants’ unpreparedness to deal with migratory procedures and the underspending in welfare institutions are some of the major issues hampering the migrant community in accessing their rights. For that reason, host society organizations have been leading the process of providing essential services such as legal counseling and labor integration, on one hand, and forming networks to advocate for government accountability on the other. This study aims, therefore, to contribute to the debate on the role of social movement networks in formulating and implementing public policies for migrants by exploring the trajectory of social movement networks in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil. Despite being one of the main destinations for newly arrived immigrants, the city has not implemented any specific policy to support them, which has led local organizations to join together in networks to demand answers. Stemming from Scherer-Warren’s social movement networks theory and Braun & Clarke’s thematic analysis method, this research aims to explore the role of social movement networks based in Florianópolis in implementing public policies for migrants, with special attention to migrant women, who have been most affected by the absence of a proper reception policy. In order to delve into civil society’s role and limitations in shaping reception policies for migrants, this study will rely on secondary sources such as papers on public policies, migration, and gender, as well as primary sources such as laws and semi-structured interviews with the main Florianopolitan actors in the migration field. The findings indicate that, despite approving important local policies recently, civil society organizations based in Florianópolis remain the main reference for both the migrant community and public servants when it comes to migratory issues. The weakening of political debate spaces poses a threat to the implementation of such policies, and the strengthening of migrants’ participation in these instances might be the turning point for it to be perceived as a priority by the Executive branch. / O Brasil, tal como outros países da América Latina, testemunhou um aumento dos fluxos migratórios intrarregionais na última década. Este cenário influenciou importantes mudanças nas políticas migratórias a nível federal – a atualização do Estatuto dos Estrangeiro de 1980 para uma lei de migração baseada nos direitos humanos em 2017 é o principal exemplo de como os fluxos migratórios podem contribuir na promoção de direitos e fortalecimento da democracia nas sociedades de acolhida. No entanto, os migrantes seguem enfrentando numerosas dificuldades no território brasileiro: o despreparo dos funcionários públicos para lidar com os procedimentos migratórios e o subinvestimento em instituições de assistência social são algumas das principais questões que dificultam o acesso da comunidade migrante aos seus direitos. Por essa razão, as organizações da sociedade de acolhimento têm liderado o processo de prestação de serviços essenciais, tais como aconselhamento jurídico e integração laboral, ao mesmo tempo em que formam redes para incidir sobre políticas públicas em esferas de governo. Este estudo visa, portanto, contribuir para o debate sobre o papel das redes de movimentos sociais na formulação e implementação de políticas públicas para migrantes, explorando a trajetória das redes de movimentos sociais na cidade de Florianópolis. Apesar de ser um dos principais destinos dos imigrantes recém-chegados, a cidade não implementou nenhuma política específica para atender as demandas específicas dessa população, o que levou as organizações locais a juntarem-se em redes para exigirem respostas das autoridades públicas. Partindo da teoria das redes de movimento sociais de Scherer-Warren e do método de análise temática de Braun & Clarke, esta investigação visa explorar qual é o papel das redes de movimento sociais sediadas em Florianópolis no processo de elaboração e implementação de políticas públicas para a população migrante, com especial atenção para as mulheres migrantes, que têm sido as mais afetadas pela ausência de uma política de acolhimento adequada. A fim de aprofundar a análise sobre o papel e as limitações da sociedade civil na formulação de políticas de acolhimento para migrantes, este estudo basear-se-á em fontes secundárias, tais como estudos sobre políticas públicas, migração e gênero, bem como fontes primárias, tais como leis e entrevistas semi-estruturadas com os principais atores florianopolitanos no campo das migrações. As conclusões indicam que, apesar da aprovação recente de importantes políticas locais, as organizações da sociedade civil instaladas em Florianópolis continuam a ser a principal referência tanto para a comunidade migrante como para os funcionários públicos quando se trata de procedimentos migratórios. O enfraquecimento dos espaços de debate político representa uma ameaça à implementação de tais políticas, e reforçar a participação dos e das migrantes nestas instâncias pode ser o ponto de inflexão para que estas sejam percebidas como prioridade pelo Poder Executivo.

With a tense political landscape with stigmatizing discourse about migrants and so-called migrant ghettos, alongside continuous indications of gender imbalances in public spaces in Copenhagen, a focus on migrant women was chosen. The thesis takes its outset in a photo project conducted in Kringlebakken, an integration house in Copenhagen. Six migrant women participated and were asked to photograph the city through their eyes, meaning taking photos of their everyday lives and places they wanted to show and talk about in the following photo elicitation interviews. With agency and empowerment as key values the women navigated the conversation and shared experiences about their everyday lives. Concepts of intersectionality, the everyday and emotional geographies were applied through a feminist lens, highlighting the role emotions play in shaping our perception of spaces. From an inductive approach two themes were found: 1) green spaces and 2) everyday practices and challenges. The women shared peaceful moments and embodied experiences in nature both with themselves, with their children and their family. The green spaces evoked gratitude, appreciation and peace and had a general restorative effect in their everyday life. Their appreciation mainly stems from previous experiences in their home countries where urban green areas are not as accessible. Furthermore green spaces become a space where the women can get a break from the everyday chores. In contrast, the experiences shared about the everyday spaces and practices included language barriers, discrimination and feelings of exclusion. The added hindrances to urban life brings a level of discomfort in their everyday lives and it is here that Kringlebakken plays an essential role as an inclusive space in the women’s lives. Highlighting these embodied experiences adds nuances to a heterogeneous group that is often depicted as a homogeneous group.