Language and Culture in the Feminization of Migration in Brazil

Abstract

This paper proposes a reflexion on the language and culture in the context of the “feminization of migrations” (CORTES, 2016; MARINUCCI, 2007; MEJIA; CAZAROTTO, 2016), specifically the refuge migration, taking the phenomenon from a study perspective in Language Policy. Considering the migration trajectories, we understand that the objectives and challenges can varydepending on gender: according to the UNHCR, discrimination against women and girls and the resulting violence is both cause and consequence of forced displacement. In Brazil, the presence of women in refugee immigration is significant: in 2016, according to data from the National Secretariat of Justice, women represented more than 30% of those seeking refugee. We seek to (i) reflect on language barriers in social and linguistic insertion in the host society, (ii) propose a reflexion on the language and culture of origin and those of host country, through the narratives of a woman refugee in interviews available online. We contextualize the research with a bibliographical review, with data consolidated by studies on the reality of immigration in Brazil in recent years (UNHCR, CONARE, IMDH, OBMigra).