The Institutional Production of Vulnerability: a policy analysis of women migration. The Spanish case.

This thesis explores the institutional construction of vulnerability in the context of female migration in the specific case of Spain. By analysing migration and integration policies through a gendered and feminist lens, the research highlights how institutional narratives shape differentiated forms of inclusion and exclusion among migrant women. The study focuses on Spain as both a national case and as a representative site of broader European Union dynamics, emphasising its strategic role as a southern border and entry point for migrants from Latin America and Africa. Through discourse and policy analysis, it reveals how female migrants are frequently categorised as inherently vulnerable subjects, yet unequally integrated based on linguistic, cultural, and radicalised criteria. Latin American women, often perceived as culturally closer and linguistically accessible, are more readily integrated, while African women are frequently marginalised through narratives that problematise religion, education, and language. This stratification reflects persistent colonial logics in migration governance and contributes to the reproduction of structural inequalities. The research draws on academic literature, institutional documents, and feminist theoretical frameworks to critically interrogate the intersections of gender, migration, and policy in the Spanish context.