The results of snap analysis of gender sensitivity of the Russian legislative acts (December 2018 – March 2021) in the context of feminization of migration

Women comprise nearly half of world’s migration. They are particularly vulnerable, thus their rights, interests, and special needs must be protected. In the period from 2016 to 2018, the Russian Federation has become one of the active participants in the development of international acts on refugees and migrants, which contain provisions aimed at feminization of migration related issues. These acts are not legally binding; however, Russia along with other countries that have joined this initiative, conducts the activity on implementation of internationally ratified principles into the national legislation. The article provides the results of snap analysis of the federal acts adopted in the period of December 2018 – March 2021, which was performed for pilot assessment of the current state of Russian law from the perspective of gender sensitivity and presence of favorable conditions for solution of the problems pertaining to feminization of migration. It was essential to understand whether the effective normative legal acts “see” a migrant woman as a special legal phenomenon, and which specific characteristics and needs of women are reflected in these acts. The conclusion is made that the Russian legislation is currently of gender neutral nature. Other than a range of documents related to implementation of the National Strategy for Women 2017 – 2022, the gender sensitivity of federal acts is generally low. The documents included into sampling, for the most part reflect the specific biological characteristics of women, which determine their health needs, as well as the need for targeted social support due to childbirth and maternity leave. The analyzed international acts have a broader outlook upon the characteristics and needs of women in general and migrant women in particular than the Russian legislation (other than the National Strategy for Women).

A Migrant Woman Sustaining la lucha: A Feminist Takeover of the Organization Process of on-Demand Delivery Workers in Ecuador

This article focuses on the multiple violations of labor rights that on-demand delivery workers are facing in Ecuador—as well as their resistance. By presenting a case study of a recent organizational process to raise awareness of workers’ demands, we bring forward the role of women in platform workers organizations. Our reflections are based on data collected and analyzed from a survey of 148 anonymous delivery workers from three Ecuadorian cities; an in-depth interview; and our involvement in the project “Platform Observatory”. The analysis draws upon theoretical, methodological, and analytical frameworks developed by Feminist Economics. Our findings highlight how a migrant woman sustains la lucha—the fight—in a masculinized sector and her struggles to keep the organization alive. Moreover, we contribute to generating an archive of workers’ demands and their organization process in the country.

Postcolonial Patriarchal Nativism, Domestic Violence and Transnational Feminist Research in Contemporary Uganda

This article examines the development of a multidimensional, transnational feminist research approach from and within Uganda in relation to a high-profile case of domestic violence and femicide of a middle-class, upper-caste Indian migrant woman in Kampala in 1998. It explores indigenous Ugandan public and Ugandan Asian/Indian community interpretations and the dynamics of cross-racial feminist mobilisation and protest that emerged in response to the Joshi-Sharma domestic violence case. In doing so, it advocates for a transnational feminist research approach from and within Uganda and the Global South that works against the grain of nationalist and nativist biases in existing feminist scholarly trends. This approach lays bare power inequalities and internal tensions within and across racialised African and Asian communities, and thus avoids the romanticisation of cross-racial feminist African-Asian solidarities.

Hosts, Guests and Parasites in Helena Maria Viramontes' “The Cariboo Café”

The correlation between immigrants and parasites is a common theme in political discourse. The nation-state assumes the role of a living organism that allows the entrance of an alien, a guest of sorts, who, in turn, endangers the wellbeing of the host. Such is the initial vision of the migrant woman in Helena Maria Viramontes’ “The Cariboo Café” (1995). Drawing from Michel Serres, Jaques Derrida and Mireille Rosello, this article analyses the story from the perspective of the hospitality framework. The figure of the parasite appears as a liminal figure that establishes a symbiotic relationship with the host both on the social and the linguistic levels. As a disturber of peace and order, the parasite disrupts the traditional relations with the abused guest. In the story, the café owner’s gatekeeping activities, both linguistic and ideological, become suspended. The opposition between host/guest-parasite, legal/illegal, inside/outside opens to an infinite range of possibilities between allege

‘Between me and my God’: a life story narrative of conciliating cultural discourses and personalization of Islam

This chapter offers a better understanding of the relation between gender and Islam by portraying and exploring a subjective account of conciliating religiosity and modern individualism. The study is conducted based on a life story narrative of a Muslim migrant woman from Iran, living in Belgium. Her life story and experiences prior to and after migration are analysed to reveal how she has built and made sense of her religiosity in the European context. By adopting a life story method, the chapter aims to investigate dynamics of conciliating supposedly contradicting cultural and religious discourses, and to explore religious belonging and personalization of faith.