How does Multi-Level Fail to Address Severe Forms of Exploitation of Migrant Women in Italy's Fashion Sector?

This thesis investigates how multi-level governance frameworks in the European Union, Italy and local contexts fail to address severe forms of labour exploitation of migrant women in Italy’s fashion industry, with a focus on Prato’s textile district. Although agriculture and domestic work have been widely studied, the fashion sector remains underexplored despite its dependence on migrant labour and fragmented supply chains. The research asks how and why migrant women are subjected to severe forms of exploitation in Italy’s fashion sector, despite formal legal and policy frameworks. The central argument is that restrictive migration regimes, fragmented governance structures and weak enforcement mechanisms do not only fail to prevent exploitation, but also create conditions that sustain it. Feminist political economy, intersectionality and a crimmigration provide the analytical framework, demonstrating how governance reproduces gendered and racialized hierarchies. These dynamics make migrant women expressly vulnerable, while simultaneously rendering their work law, policy and statistics. Methodologically, this thesis employs a qualitative case study of Prato, combining policy and legal analysis with secondary data from international organizations, academic literature and civil society reports. Prato illustrates how global supply chains intersect locally, creating precarious and unsafe working conditions. The case also highlights migrant women’s agency, including entrepreneurial strategies and community support networks. The findings reveal systemic governance failures. At the EU level, although directives formally address exploitation, their focus often leans towards trafficking and security while neglecting everyday labour abuses. At national level, Italian migration policies restrict access to regular pathways and weaken protection mechanisms. At the sub-national level, enforcement is limited by resource constraints and fragmented responsibilities. Therefore, the thesis contributes to scholarship by integrating feminist IR and political economy with migration governance and by addressing the neglected textile sector. Policy recommendations include gender- sensitive inspections, accessible migration pathways, disaggregated data collection and intersectional approaches to governance.