The Feminization of Migration and Its Effects on Women's Emancipation and Identity Reclamation: A Focus on Bolivian Female Labor Migration to São Paulo

Female migration can be understood as a contemporary phenomenon. It occurs when women migrate by their own decision, traveling alone or accompanied by their children or other women. In Brazil, statistical data indicate that this practice has been increasing, configuring the phenomenon known as the feminization of migration, which includes women originating not only from Latin American countries but also from different continents. This study, derived from a doctoral dissertation currently in its final stage of development, focuses on Bolivian vocational/labor migration, in which female workers migrate in pursuit of professional projects and economic emancipation. Based on interviews with ten Bolivian migrant women workers residing in São Paulo, and drawing on Oral History methodology, this study seeks to understand whether professional projects contributed to their decision to migrate to Brazil, particularly to São Paulo. Through an intercultural perspective, the research also investigates the effects of this migration on Bolivian communities and on the local population. Although data compilation is still ongoing, it is already possible to observe that the initial hypothesis tends to be confirmed, as labor-related factors significantly influence the decision to migrate. Seven of the interviewed migrant professionals migrated during young adulthood, three of them alone. Two adult women migrated shortly after marriage, with labor plans for the couple; one adult woman migrated with her brother to provide him with material and emotional support; and another migrated accompanied by an aunt. The remaining participants migrated during childhood: two with their parents and one with her mother and sister. Among those who migrated as adults, labor objectives were decisive, whether to pursue specialization courses, begin a new career, or study in Brazil as a second undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Among the three who migrated during childhood, all completed primary education, and two currently work in their field of training. Most interviewees, including those who had already been employed and enjoyed economic stability in Bolivia, stated that Brazil offers greater opportunities for professional growth. Only one reported maintaining labor ties in Bolivia, while continuing to specialize in Brazil. It is noteworthy that even women who still work under precarious conditions in São Paulo have achieved financial autonomy and plan to attend university, as they had intended at the time of migration, although their dreams were temporarily interrupted. Among those who left Bolivia as children, all completed higher education and are pursuing their vocations. They emphasize that education—and the investment made in it—was the greatest legacy inherited from their parents, after Bolivian culture.