Gender, rights, and humanitarian assistance conditions for migrant women in shelters in Mexicali, Baja California
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71112/8rk9hc39Keywords:
migrant women, quality of life, shelters, humanitarian assistance, genderAbstract
This study explores the relationship between humanitarian assistance and the quality of life of migrant women in shelters in Mexicali, Baja California. Grounded in a feminist intersectional framework and a mixed-methods, descriptive-correlational design, the research involved surveys with 120 migrants and interviews with coordinators of three types of shelters: public, civil society–run, and altruistic. The findings reveal structural shortcomings, uneven resource distribution, and gendered vulnerabilities, particularly affecting women, girls, and adolescents. Women sustain care networks both as users and as unpaid providers, yet face precarious conditions marked by irregular access to hygiene, safety, and employment. The study argues that humanitarian assistance, when lacking a gender-sensitive and rights-based perspective, fails to improve quality of life during transit. It calls for policies that integrate gender across all stages of care and recommends building community-based networks that promote collective responsibility and dignified support.
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