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The journey of a living statue: Structural violence and a Honduran migrant woman's pathway toward asylum and wellbeing

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  • Wilson, Brenda K.
  • Calderon, Cristina
  • Cornejo, Ash
  • Csordas, Thomas J.

Abstract

Approximately half of the world's displaced migrant population are women, yet gender-specific analyses are often lacking. Such analyses are crucial for understanding migrant women's unique experiences and informing policies that address their health and broader needs. This paper integrates the concept of structural violence with person-centered ethnography to examine women's physical and mental health in contexts of displacement and migration. Using the triple trauma framework, we offer a holistic, temporal-spatial analysis of the health experiences and exposures faced by asylum-seeking women across three stages: places of origin, travel, and destination. Through the representative case of Anahi, a Honduran woman who fled to the US with her family in 2019, we identify four key themes: the persistence of structural violence and its constraints on health decisions and outcomes, the losses and suffering associated with women's triple roles, the harms of racism and xenophobia, and the health implications of inadequate information on asylum and immigration procedures. We conclude with policy recommendations to reduce health inequities among migrant women. This study advances understanding by providing a comprehensive, gendered analysis of the structural forces shaping health outcomes for migrant women, offering insights that extend beyond a narrow focus on reproductive issues to address their physical, mental, and social well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilson, Brenda K. & Calderon, Cristina & Cornejo, Ash & Csordas, Thomas J., 2024. "The journey of a living statue: Structural violence and a Honduran migrant woman's pathway toward asylum and wellbeing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:362:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624008645
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117410
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    1. Duncan, Whitney L. & Nabor Vazquez, Lupita, 2023. "‘I don't feel that we are a burden’: Latinx immigrants and deservingness during the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 333(C).
    2. Sophie Scharlin-Pettee & Yeshwas Admasu & Sabina Alkire, 2024. "Multidimensional Poverty, Gender, and Forced Displacement: A Multi-Country, Intrahousehold Analysis in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(12), pages 1852-1878, December.
    3. Pavlish, Carol Lynn & Noor, Sahra & Brandt, Joan, 2010. "Somali immigrant women and the American health care system: Discordant beliefs, divergent expectations, and silent worries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 353-361, July.
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