Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis
Abstract Background It is estimated that since 2014, approximately 7.3 million Venezuelan migrants/refugees have left the country. Although both male and female migrants/refugees are vulnerable, female migrants/refugees are more likely to face discrimination, emotional, physical, and sexual violence...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06334-0 |
| _version_ | 1827325803451383808 |
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| author | Michele Zaman Victoria McCann Sofia Friesen Monica Noriega Maria Marisol Susan A. Bartels Eva Purkey |
| author_facet | Michele Zaman Victoria McCann Sofia Friesen Monica Noriega Maria Marisol Susan A. Bartels Eva Purkey |
| author_sort | Michele Zaman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background It is estimated that since 2014, approximately 7.3 million Venezuelan migrants/refugees have left the country. Although both male and female migrants/refugees are vulnerable, female migrants/refugees are more likely to face discrimination, emotional, physical, and sexual violence. Currently there is a lack of literature that explores the experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees. Our aim is to better understand the experience of this vulnerable population to inform programming. Methods In the parent study, Spryng.io’s sensemaking tool was used to gain insight into the gendered migration experiences of Venezuelan women/girls. A total of 9339 micronarratives were collected from 9116 unique participants in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil from January to April 2022. For the purpose of this analysis, two independent reviewers screened 817 micronarratives which were identified by the participant as being about someone who was pregnant, ultimately including 231 as part of the thematic analysis. This was an exploratory study and an open thematic analysis of the narratives was performed. Results The mean age and standard deviation of our population was 25.77 ± 6.73. The majority of women in the sample already had at least 1 child (62%), were married at the time of migration (53%) and identified as low socio-economic status (59%). The qualitative analysis revealed the following main themes among pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees: xenophobia in the forms of racial slurs and hostile treatment from health-care workers while accessing pregnancy care; sexual, physical, and verbal violence experienced during migration; lack of shelter, resources and financial support; and travelling with the hopes of a better future. Conclusion Pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees are a vulnerable population that encounter complex gender-based and societal issues that are rarely sufficiently reported. The findings of this study can inform governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations to improve support systems for pregnant migrants/refugees. Based on the results of our study we recommend addressing xenophobia in health-care centres and the lack of shelter and food in host countries at various levels, creating support spaces for pregnant women who experience trauma or violence, and connecting women with reliable employment opportunities and maternal healthcare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:35:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-244eac998870438ba4effdd308c30f25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:35:38Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-244eac998870438ba4effdd308c30f252024-03-05T20:39:53ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932024-02-0124111310.1186/s12884-024-06334-0Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysisMichele Zaman0Victoria McCann1Sofia Friesen2Monica Noriega3Maria Marisol4Susan A. Bartels5Eva Purkey6School of Medicine, Queen’s UniversitySchool of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s UniversityInternational Organization for MigrationInternational Organization for MigrationDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s UniversityDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s UniversityAbstract Background It is estimated that since 2014, approximately 7.3 million Venezuelan migrants/refugees have left the country. Although both male and female migrants/refugees are vulnerable, female migrants/refugees are more likely to face discrimination, emotional, physical, and sexual violence. Currently there is a lack of literature that explores the experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees. Our aim is to better understand the experience of this vulnerable population to inform programming. Methods In the parent study, Spryng.io’s sensemaking tool was used to gain insight into the gendered migration experiences of Venezuelan women/girls. A total of 9339 micronarratives were collected from 9116 unique participants in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil from January to April 2022. For the purpose of this analysis, two independent reviewers screened 817 micronarratives which were identified by the participant as being about someone who was pregnant, ultimately including 231 as part of the thematic analysis. This was an exploratory study and an open thematic analysis of the narratives was performed. Results The mean age and standard deviation of our population was 25.77 ± 6.73. The majority of women in the sample already had at least 1 child (62%), were married at the time of migration (53%) and identified as low socio-economic status (59%). The qualitative analysis revealed the following main themes among pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees: xenophobia in the forms of racial slurs and hostile treatment from health-care workers while accessing pregnancy care; sexual, physical, and verbal violence experienced during migration; lack of shelter, resources and financial support; and travelling with the hopes of a better future. Conclusion Pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees are a vulnerable population that encounter complex gender-based and societal issues that are rarely sufficiently reported. The findings of this study can inform governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations to improve support systems for pregnant migrants/refugees. Based on the results of our study we recommend addressing xenophobia in health-care centres and the lack of shelter and food in host countries at various levels, creating support spaces for pregnant women who experience trauma or violence, and connecting women with reliable employment opportunities and maternal healthcare.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06334-0MigrationPregnancyGlobal healthSouth America |
| spellingShingle | Michele Zaman Victoria McCann Sofia Friesen Monica Noriega Maria Marisol Susan A. Bartels Eva Purkey Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Migration Pregnancy Global health South America |
| title | Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis |
| title_full | Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis |
| title_fullStr | Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis |
| title_short | Experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative analysis |
| title_sort | experiences of pregnant venezuelan migrants refugees in brazil ecuador and peru a qualitative analysis |
| topic | Migration Pregnancy Global health South America |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06334-0 |
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