At the Crossroads between Violence and Migration: Migrant Women’s Grassroots Struggles Against Intersectional Violence in Spain

This paper addresses the intersectional violence faced by migrant women in Spain, emphasizing the complexity of their experiences beyond a traditional conception of gender-based violence (GBV). It highlights the limited scope of existing research on violence against migrant women, calling for an intersectional lens that considers how race, class, sexuality, and other axes of oppression intersect with gender and their impact in women’s lives throughout the migration process. Using Spain as a case study, it explores the role of institutional barriers in exacerbating these insecurities and examines how migrant women resist violence through activism and political participation. The Spanish context, marked by progressive gender policies influenced by feminist mobilizations, serves as a critical backdrop to assess whether these advancements effectively protect migrant and racialized women. Ultimately, the paper highlights the importance of intersectional approaches in addressing GBV and showcases migrant women’s agency in fighting against violence.