The Feminization of Migration in Azuay

Between Hope and Vulnerability

Every year, hundreds of women from Azuay embark on a journey that takes them away from their homes, their families, and their traditions. The province of Azuay, located in the heart of southern Ecuador, has historically been one of the regions with the strongest tradition of migration in the country. However, in recent decades, this phenomenon has undergone a fundamental transformation: migration is no longer exclusively a male phenomenon (Unda & Alvarado, 2012). Women have gone from being passive companions to becoming the driving forces behind their own migration projects, motivated by the search for economic opportunities, family reunification, or, in many cases, the desire to escape oppressive patriarchal structures in their communities of origin. This process, known as the feminization of migration, has not only reshaped family and social dynamics in Azuay but has also exposed these women to multiple vulnerabilities during their journey and in their destination countries (UN Women, 2024). Understanding this reality is urgent and necessary to highlight the risks they face and to demand public policies that protect their human rights.

Female migration from Azuay to destinations such as Spain, the United States, and Italy intensified dramatically following the 1999–2000 economic crisis, which plunged Ecuador into a deep recession (Gives Fernández & Cardoso Ruiz, 2016). According to academic research, the southern provinces—especially Azuay, Cañar, and Loja—experienced a mass exodus in which entire towns were left inhabited mainly by the elderly, children, and women awaiting the return of their loved ones. The feminization of Ecuador’s migration process is characterized by the independent departure of women seeking to enter specific labor niches in the service sector in their destination countries: childcare, care for the elderly and people with disabilities, domestic cleaning, and the hospitality industry (Unda & Alvarado, 2012).

However, behind this quest for a better life lies a reality marked by multiple forms of violence and vulnerability. Migrant women face risks from the very moment they begin their journey: without proper documentation, sufficient financial resources, or reliable information on safe routes, they are exposed to intermediaries who charge excessive fees, make false promises, or directly subject them to exploitative situations that can lead to human trafficking (UN Women, 2024). During transit, sexual violence is a constant threat. International studies document that, in dangerous migration corridors such as the Darien Gap, sexual violence has increased dramatically, turning women’s bodies into a bargaining chip.

Upon arriving at their destination, conditions do not necessarily improve either. Many women from Azuay end up in precarious jobs, with wages lower than those earned by national workers, grueling workdays, and sometimes in boarding-style living arrangements that socially isolate them (Gives Fernández & Cardoso Ruiz, 2016). Labor exploitation, sexual harassment, discrimination, and the lack of legal protection due to their irregular immigration status are everyday realities. In addition, they face the emotional challenge of family separation, the difficulty of adapting to new cultural and linguistic contexts, and the risk of being pressured to conform to traditional gender roles that limit their autonomy (Unda & Alvarado, 2012). For girls and adolescents who migrate alone or with others, the dangers multiply exponentially.

The feminization of migration in Azuay is not merely a statistical fact: it is a phenomenon that involves life plans, dreams of a better future, and, all too often, stories of violence and exploitation that remain hidden from view. It is imperative that the Ecuadorian government, destination countries, and the international community implement gender-sensitive migration policies that guarantee safe routes, access to reliable information, effective labor protection, and accessible reporting mechanisms. Migrant women should not be viewed as passive victims, but as agents of change who deserve to migrate with dignity and safety. Their voices must be heard, their rights protected, and their courage recognized. Only then can we build a truly just system of human mobility.

 Author: Fabian Bacuilima, M.A.

Bibliographic References:

Gives Fernández, J., & Cardoso Ruiz, R. P. (2016). Migración ecuatoriana, género y retorno en el siglo XXI. Revista Internacional de Estudios Migratorios, 6(1), 109-144. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/104/10466283006/html/

ONU Mujeres. (2024, 27 de septiembre). Las mujeres migrantes en riesgo de violencia y explotación. https://www.unwomen.org/es/articulos/articulo-explicativo/las-mujeres-migrantes-en-riesgo-de-violencia-y-explotacion

Unda, R., & Alvarado, S. V. (2012). Feminización de la migración y papel de las mujeres en el hecho migratorio. Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud, 10(1), 593-610. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1692-715X2012000100038