Intersecting paths: Vulnerability, Gender, and Migration. Mental health implications for migrant women in Latin America.

This thesis critically examines the intersecting dimensions of vulnerability, gender, and migration within Latin America, focusing on the mental health implications for migrant women. With a particular emphasis on Venezuelan migrants and the perilous journey across the Panamanian-Colombian border, this work explores the complex factors influencing their mental health outcomes. I argue that the intersectionality framework, rather than labeling migrants as vulnerable, is the most appropriate for a deeper understanding of mental health-related vulnerabilities of migrant women. First, I describe the notion of vulnerability from the philosophical, feminist, and political perspectives. Second, I discuss the mental health impact of the migration experience, particularly the challenges migrants face and their resilience. Third, I present the topic of gender and migration, particularly the intersectionality conceptual approach and gender differences in migration stages. Finally, I analyze the situation of migrant women and girls in Latin America and the factors that render them more vulnerable, including the socio-political context, economic factors, gender roles, and gender-based violence. This study concludes that more gender-sensitive research that addresses mental health issues using an intersectionality framework is necessary, for appropriate interventions throughout their transit, which may prevent future mental illness and, ultimately, ensure their safety.